Guantanamo’s Child: Omar Khadr

Back in 2002, 15-year-old Omar Khadr was captured by American soldiers and locked up in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, where he was subjected to torture. He was released in May 2015. Together with his attorney he looks back on his role in the war and the atrocities of the detention camp.

In 1995, 8-year-old Omar Khadr moved with his parents from Canada to Afghanistan. Seven years later, at the age of 15, he was captured by American troops, accused of having links to Al-Qaeda. The teenager ended up in the Guantanamo Bay prison camp without any legal representation or trial, and was subjected to years of torture.

Following transfer to a Canadian prison, he was released in May 2015. From his new home, he and his attorney look back on his role in the war. We see footage of his arrest and listen in on interviews with the Canadian secret service and conversations with cellmates. Along the way, we begin to wonder if Omar is just a naive boy, a defenceless child who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Former soldiers dispute this – they are convinced that he’s a merciless terrorist. This is also the opinion of the Canadian Prime Minister and a range of news organizations, which do their utmost to make sure Omar remains guilty in the public eye. Gradually, the philosophical question arises of whether a child can be held accountable for his actions.