Trudeau says Khadr settlement troubles him, but it could have cost more
Posted July 13, 2017 10:58 am.
Last Updated July 13, 2017 1:31 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) – Justin Trudeau says he shares the concerns of Canadians who object to reports of the government’s multi-million dollar settlement with Omar Khadr.
But the prime minister says if the government hadn’t settled with the former Guantanamo Bay inmate it would have cost the government as much as $30 to $40 million to settle the case.
Khadr filed a $20-million lawsuit against the government for violating his Charter rights, and has received an out-of-court settlement reportedly worth $10.5 million.
The payout has angered rank and file Canadians, as well as veterans groups, and has exposing the Liberals to scathing political attacks from the opposition Conservatives.
Khadr was sent to the US prison when he was 16 years old after being captured during a fire fight with U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2002.
Trudeau says the lesson for future governments is that when they violate a Canadian’s rights, everyone pays.
