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Canadian Government appeals Repatriation Decision for Omar Khadr

by albertacowpoke | June 23, 2009 at 03:57 pm

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The Canadian Government is appealing the court decision that ordered it to pressure the United States to release/repatriate Omar Khadr to Canada.

Omar Khadr has been in Guantanamo since 2002. He is accused of murdering a U.S military medic.

Some content that Khadr, who was 15 at the time of his capture, was a child soldier

The Conservative Government had no intent to request the release of Khadr. Prime Minister Harper told FOX News about a week ago that Canada would not take any detainees from Guantanamo.

Federal lawyers are basing their appeal on the argument that the courts have no right to order the Canadian Government to pressure the US to repatriate cutter.

They state that security is not an issue in this case.

OTTAWA — The Harper government is appealing a court decision ordering it to repatriate Canadian Omar Khadr from the Guantanamo Bay prison.

"The Government of Canada has consistently stated that Omar Khadr faces serious charges," the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Friday. "After careful consideration of the legal merits of the ruling from the Canadian Federal Court issued on April 23, the Government of Canada has decided to appeal the decision."

The government said it would not offer additional comments since the matter was before the courts.