Mr. Speaker, organizations like Amnesty International state that if individuals such as Omar Khadr are to face prosecution, they should at least be charged with recognizable offences and tried before an independent and impartial tribunal such as the U.S. federal court. Like them, I also urge that such be the case, along with respect for the age of the defendant at the time of the alleged offence.
The reality is that the process dealing with Omar Khadr has been extrajudicial from the beginning. The rules of international law offer set procedures to follow for the treatment of prisoners of war and in particular, child soldiers.
The Canadian government has an obligation to insist on proper treatment for Omar Khadr. It is already now required by our own Supreme Court to release all documents in its possession.
Hilary Homes of Amnesty International stated before our human rights committee “Canada has been a champion of these rights far too long to create an exception out of one of its own citizens”. Does the government disagree with this statement and, if not, what is it doing that is tangible to release Omar Khadr?