When you think of a typical 15 year old you think of playing outside, daydreaming or attending school but Canadian Omar Khadr has had a very different journey.
Captured by American forces in 2002 in Afghanistan Khadr was labeled an “enemy combatant.” The only child soldier to be tried for war crimes Khadr would spend 11 years in Guantanamo Bay. Khadr had pleaded guilty to five war crimes, including the murder of an American Special Forces soldier.
Khadr a Canadian citizen only returned to Canada’s custody in Sept. 2012. Today however, marked Khadr’s first public appearance in over 11 years in an Edmonton courtroom. An article from the Lethbridge Herald gives an in-depth look, which can be read here:
After 11 years, it seems courts are still undecided as to whether Khadr is serving time as a youth or an adult. Khadr’s case has been going on for quite some time and had a slew of supporters show up for the hearing. A Huffington Post article highlights the out cry and reactions, both against and for Omar Khadr.
While I believe there are a lot of factors in this case, I find it skewed that after 11 years it is still undecided what exactly Khadr is facing. It clearly hasn’t been an easy case; the Toronto-Canadian wasn’t even moved to Canada until 2012.
This case hasn’t been something new on my radar and in fact I’ve been following it lightly since 2011. At this time I was attending the University of Lethbridge and received the chance to attend a lecture with Khadr’s lawyer, Dennis Edney. The majority of the lecture involved watching You Don’t like the Truth: Canada’s Role in the trial of Omar Khadr. During this time Khadr was still being held in Guantanamo and Edney was pushing for his return to Canada. Watching this case evolve and unfold has been interesting. It makes you question what we’ve done, our justice system and at what age a child is no longer a child.
