Omar Ahmed Khadr’s request for a new hearing was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court on July 22. Khadr, a former Guantanamo Bay detainee, sought to overturn his convictions for the murder of a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan and other crimes committed when he was 15. The court’s decision not to rehear his appeal came after rejecting his petition for review on May 20, following a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
In 2002, Khadr was arrested in Afghanistan in connection with the death of Sgt. Christopher Speer, a U.S. soldier, during a firefight. He pleaded guilty to charges in 2010, leading to an eight-year sentence and eventual transfer to a Canadian prison. Despite changes in caselaw governing war-related prosecutions, the D.C. Circuit ruled in 2023 that Khadr waived his right to appeal when he signed the plea agreement in 2010.
The Supreme Court’s denial of Khadr’s petition for rehearing in July was issued without comment. Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson recused themselves from the case due to prior involvement when serving on the D.C. Circuit Court. Khadr had argued that their recusal harmed his case during the certiorari stage.
The petition for rehearing emphasized the importance of all justices participating in the case to ensure judicial integrity and give full consideration to the fundamental issues at hand. The document also highlighted Khadr’s previous legal battles in Canada, including a civil settlement in 2017 over human rights violations during his time at Guantanamo Bay.
Please rewrite this sentence.
Source link
