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Bring Omar Khadr back to Canada.

Contact
telephone: (416) 588-5555
Web
http://www.bringomarhome.ca/

About

We are a broad coalition of civil liberties, human rights, peace, social justice and legal groups who have come together to demand the repatriation of Omar Khadr.

Upcoming Events

KEEP THE PROMISE: CLOSE GUANTANAMO NOW! REPATRIATE OMAR KHADR!

Saturday, January 17, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. U.S. Consulate 360 University Avenue Toronto, ON

With Obama's inauguration on January 20th, Amnesty International and the Coalition to Repatriate Omar Khadr are hosting a rally to remind the incoming American leadership of their promise to Shut Down Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp.

Warm clothes, banners and posters all encouraged!

To ensure a great turn-out, please invite anyone who may be interested! Bring friends, family, supporters and those who want to learn more, everyone is invited!

Organized by: Coalition to Repatriate Omar Khadr (Toronto) [email protected] http://www.bringomarhome.ca 647-887-3409

Statement of Unity

Canadian citizen Omar Khadr is the only Western national left in Guantánamo Bay. Khadr and fellow detainee Mohammed Jawad are believed to be the first child combatants ever to face prosecution of alleged "war crimes". Khadr was only 15 years old when he was captured by US forces in Afghanistan and later transported to the infamous US detention centre where he has now spent more than a quarter of his life. Khadr faces trial by US military commission. The military commissions fall so far short of international human rights standards that it is impossible for Khadr to receive a fair trial at Guantánamo.

Recently disclosed documents provide further details about the mistreatment that Khadr has experienced in Guantánamo Bay, where the US has been accused of systematically torturing and ill-treating detainees. Reports show that Khadr was subjected to extreme forms of sleep deprivation, a form of torture, including a practice known as the "frequent flyer program" in which he was woken every three hours and moved to a different cell for 24 hours a day over a three-week period. Khadr was also placed in solitary confinement for extended lengths of time.

Court documents also reveal that the Canadian government was aware of the abuse suffered by Khadr at the hands of US authorities, yet continued to assure the Canadian public that US assurances that he was being humanely treated were reliable.

We ask that Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Government of Canada:

  • Protect the rights of all Canadian citizens detained abroad, including Omar Khadr.
  • Respect Canadian and international law that guarantees the presumption of innocence, due process and protection against torture and other cruel treatment.
  • Request the repatriation of Omar Khadr from Guantánamo Bay, and work with US authorities to return him to Canada without further delay.
  • Guarantee that Omar Khadr be fairly tried in an open civilian court, should admissible evidence warrant prosecution.
  • Provide the necessary resources for Omar Khadr's rehabilitation and reintegration into Canadian society.

BACKGROUND

Omar Ahmed Khadr is a Canadian citizen, born on 19 September, 1986 in Ottawa Ontario. On July 27, 2002, at the age of 15, he was captured by American forces during a four-hour firefight with militants in the village of Ayub Khey, Afghanistan . Now 21 years of age, Omar has been in U.S. custody, ever since his capture six years ago.

Omar Kahdr’s case is unique for following reasons:

  1. Omar is the first person in modern history to face a military commission for alleged crimes committed as a child.

  2. He is the youngest prisoner held in extrajudicial detention by the United Sates.

  3. Canada has refused to seek extradition or repatriation despite the urgings of Amnesty International, UNICEF, Lawyers Against the War, Lawyers Rights Watch Canada, the Canadian Bar Association and many Canadian jurists, social justice advocates and Members of Parliament.

  4. Omar is the only Western citizen who still remains at Guantánamo Bay.

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