Omar Khadr: Court to decide whether man who was youngest prisoner in Guantanamo Bay should be released

Canadian is challenging conviction in US military tribunal

Reuters

A court in Canada is expected to announce this week on whether not a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner Omar Khadr should be released on bail.

Court of Appeal Justice Myra Bielby is expected to make her decision on Thursday.

The news emerged after the Canadian government made closing arguments to keep Mr Khadr, 28, behind bars. The federal government said the country's interests would “suffer irreparable harm“ if he was released from prison, causing permanent damages to its international relations.

In 2010, Mr Khadr agreed to a highly controversial plea deal for five war crimes, including the murder of a US soldier when he was only 15-years-old.

The Toronto-native later said that he only accepted the deal to be released from Guantánamo Bay, where he spent a decade facing interrogation, confinement and torture.

Mr Khadr, was once the youngest prisoner at the Guantánamo detention camp, and was granted bail last month by an Alberta court as he appeals an American military convictions.

The alleged incidents occurred in Afghanistan in 2002. After moving back to Pakistan with his family, Mr Khadr began working as a translator in Afghanistan with groups affiliated with al-Qaeda.