Omar Khadr

Omar Khadr is a Canadian citizen who was detained by the United States at Guantanamo Bay after being captured in Afghanistan in 2002 at age 15.

Omar Khadr is a Canadian citizen who was detained by the United States at Guantanamo Bay after being captured in Afghanistan in 2002 when he was 15 years old. In 2010 he pleaded guilty before a U.S. military commission to murder in violation of the laws of war and other offences. His case became a prominent and controversial example in debates about child soldiers, military commissions, and detainee rights.

Early life and capture

Omar Khadr is a Canadian citizen born in 1986. Sources differ on whether his birthplace was Toronto or Ottawa, Ontario. He was captured during a firefight in Afghanistan in July 2002 when he was 15 years old. He was transferred from Bagram to Guantanamo Bay, where he remained for years as a juvenile detainee.

Military commission case

In 2010 Khadr pleaded guilty to murder in violation of the laws of war and related charges before a U.S. military commission. He received a sentence that was later tied to his return to Canada under a plea arrangement. Several sources describe him as the first person since World War II prosecuted by a military commission for war crimes committed as a minor.

Return to Canada and controversy

Khadr was transferred to Canada after his plea arrangement and later released on conditions in 2015. His case attracted major legal and political controversy in Canada and internationally. Human rights groups and public debate focused on his age at capture, interrogation methods, the legality of his detention, and the use of military commissions for juveniles.