Omar Khadr Gets Eight Years
Posted October 31, 2010 9:11 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A military jury in Guantanamo Bay is calling for Canada’s Omar Khadr to serve 40 years for war crimes. However, under terms of a pre-trial plea agreement, the sentence is capped at eight, which the judge imposed.
Khadr will have to serve one year in U.S. custody, before he is eligible to apply for transfer to Canada. Jurors deliberated for about eight hours over two days after closing arguments and instructions from the judge before returning their decision. Prosecutors had urged a sentence of at least 25 more years. The defence wanted Khadr sent to Canada immediately.
Khadr has admitted to five war crimes, including the murder of Sgt. 1st Class Chris Speer, after a firefight in Afghanistan in July 2002.
