A decision on whether Omar Khadr will be allowed to serve the remainder of his sentence in Canada is expected to be made by the end of the year.
Addressing allegations that Canada has dragged its feet in approving the transfer, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews told CTV鈥檚 Power Play on Thursday that he鈥檚 yet to review all the documents needed to make his decision.
The U.S. agreed to the transfer during Khadr鈥檚 trial in October 2010, and in April Washington formally approved the transfer.
Toews came under fire after documents revealed that part of the delay in Khadr鈥檚 transfer was the minister鈥檚 request for sealed videos of Khadr鈥檚 mental assessments done for military prosecutors -- apparently only discovered in February through media reports.
鈥淚鈥檝e had a good relationship with the Americans but clearly if they want me to consider that application in a timely fashion, it鈥檚 not enough they bring forward the application as they did in April, but any relevant documents that would assist me in making that decision.鈥�
Toews confirmed that he received the tapes on Sept. 5, but he鈥檚 yet to review them.
鈥淒epending on what鈥檚 revealed on those tapes I鈥檒l be in a position to make a decision on that in a fairly timely basis.鈥�
He added that most prisoner transfer cases take nine months.
鈥淔rom April, it takes us almost to the end of the year,鈥� said Toews. 鈥淲hether I can get that done before then, we鈥檒l see.鈥�
However, Andrea Prasow with the Washington-based Human Rights Watch said news of the videotapes were brought to light during Khadr鈥檚 trial in 2010.
鈥淭his idea that the information was not available to the Canadian government I really think is false. It鈥檚 really disingenuous,鈥� said Prasow.
She said Khadr should have been transferred to Canada a decade ago.
鈥淗e arrived in U.S. custody as a victim, someone who had been transported around the world and essentially forced to perform the role of a child solider,鈥� said Prasow. 鈥淚nternational law says when faced with children who are forced to be soldiers what countries are supposed to do is rehabilitate them and reintegrate them into society.鈥�
She continued, 鈥淚t鈥檚 10 years too late, but it doesn鈥檛 mean that can鈥檛 happen for Omar now.鈥�
Khadr was 15 when he was captured badly wounded and almost blind in the rubble of a bombed out compound in Afghanistan in July 2002. He was transferred to Guantanamo Bay a few months later, and has been held there since.
In October 2010 Khadr pleaded guilty to five crimes including murder in violation of the rules of war before a military commission.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who has denounced Khadr as a convicted criminal, and Toews denied a news report that Canada had approved the transfer but was delaying the announcement.
With files from The Canadian Press
