The United States Supreme Court has denied an appeal from a Canadian man who was previously detained at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.
The man, who has been identified as Omar Khadr, was captured by U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2002 at the age of 15. He was accused of throwing a grenade that killed an American soldier during a firefight.
Khadr was held at Guantanamo Bay for 10 years before being transferred to a Canadian prison in 2012. He was released on bail in 2015 pending an appeal of his conviction by a U.S. military commission.
In his appeal to the Supreme Court, Khadr argued that his conviction was invalid because he was a child soldier at the time of the incident and was subjected to torture and abuse while in custody.
However, the Supreme Court rejected his appeal without comment, leaving in place a lower court ruling that upheld his conviction.
Khadr’s case has been a contentious issue, with some arguing that he should be treated as a child soldier and others arguing that he should be held accountable for his actions.
In a statement, Khadr’s lawyer, Nathan Whitling, expressed disappointment with the Supreme Court’s decision, saying that it “leaves Mr. Khadr in the same position he has been in for the last nine years – convicted of a war crime that did not exist at the time he allegedly committed it.”
The Canadian government has also faced criticism for its handling of Khadr’s case. In 2017, the government settled a lawsuit with Khadr and issued an apology for violating his rights while he was in custody.
Khadr’s legal team has stated that they will continue to pursue legal avenues to clear his name and seek justice for the treatment he endured while in custody.
This decision by the Supreme Court marks the end of a long legal battle for Khadr, but the debate surrounding his case and the treatment of child soldiers continues.
