EDMONTON — Former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr wants to be granted a Canadian passport to travel to Saudi Arabia and permission to speak to his controversial sister.

Khadr, who is now 32, will be back in the Court of Queen's Bench in Edmonton Thursday to apply for changes to his bail conditions which were imposed while he appeals war crime convictions by a U.S. military commission.

An affidavit by Khadr filed with the court says the impact of his bail conditions are mainly psychological — a daily reminder of what he went through.

"I feel like the indefinite and potentially endless detention that I suffered in Guantanamo Bay is continuing," he wrote. "I hope that there will be some end to this process, but there is none in sight."

Khadr spent years in U.S. detention at Guantanamo Bay after he was caught when he was 15 and accused of tossing a grenade that killed special forces soldier Christopher Speer at a militant compound in Afghanistan in 2002.

He says in his affidavit that he would like to be able to speak on the phone or over Skype to his sister Zaynab Khadr. He is also asking to perform the Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia which is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims once in their lifetime.

"For this reason, I would like to apply for a Canadian passport," he said in the document.

Zaynab Khadr has spoken in favour of al-Qaida and was investigated in Canada more than a decade ago for helping the terrorist network, but she was never charged.

"My sister Zaynab is not presently in Canada," Khadr said in the document. "She is living with her husband and family. As far as I am aware, she is not in any sort of trouble."

The rules of Khadr's bail allow him to meet with her, but only in the presence of his bail supervisor or one of his lawyers. </s> Former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr wants to be granted a Canadian passport to travel to Saudi Arabia and permission to speak to his controversial sister.

Khadr, who is now 32, will be back in the Court of Queen's Bench in Edmonton Thursday to apply for changes to his bail conditions which were imposed while he appeals war crime convictions by a U.S. military commission.

An affidavit by Khadr filed with the court says the impact of his bail conditions are mainly psychological — a daily reminder of what he went through.

"I feel like the indefinite and potentially endless detention that I suffered in Guantanamo Bay is continuing," he wrote. "I hope that there will be some end to this process, but there is none in sight."

Khadr spent years in U.S. detention at Guantanamo Bay after he was caught when he was 15 and accused of tossing a grenade that killed special forces soldier Christopher Speer at a militant compound in Afghanistan in 2002.

He says in his affidavit that he would like to be able to speak on the phone or over Skype to his sister, Zaynab Khadr. He is also asking to perform the Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims once in their lifetime.

"For this reason, I would like to apply for a Canadian passport," he says in the document.

Zaynab Khadr has spoken in favour of al-Qaeda and was investigated in Canada more than a decade ago for helping the

terrorist network, but she was never charged.

"My sister Zaynab is not presently in Canada," Khadr said in the document. "She is living with her husband and family. As far as I am aware, she is not in any sort of trouble."

The rules of Khadr's bail allow him to meet with her but only in the presence of his bail supervisor or one of his lawyers.

Permission to leave Alberta

Khadr also needs permission to travel outside Alberta, and has made several trips to Toronto both to visit his family and deal with a civil lawsuit there to enforce a judgment granted against him in Utah.

In his affidavit, Khadr said he has been volunteering with an organization that helps refugees integrate into the community and has earned his high school diploma.

Khadr said he is happily married and was accepted into a nursing program, but has been unable to devote himself to study due to his legal issues.

"My reintegration into the community has been filled with happiness and not bitterness," he wrote. "I have no anger towards anyone and I have been getting on with my life. I have made many friends, and I am proud and happy to be a Canadian citizen living in Canada.

"I have not gotten into any trouble of any kind with the authorities."

His case has ignited sharp and divisive debate among Canadians over terrorism, human rights and the rule of law since the summer of 2017 when it was revealed the federal government had settled a lawsuit filed by him for a reported $10.5 million.

The payout followed a ruling by Canada's Supreme Court in 2010 that Khadr's charter rights were violated at Guantanamo and that Canadian officials contributed to that violation. </s> EDMONTON — Former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr wants to be granted a Canadian passport to travel to Saudi Arabia and permission to speak to his controversial sister.

Khadr, who is now 32, will be back in the Court of Queen’s Bench in Edmonton Thursday to apply for changes to his bail conditions which were imposed while he appeals war crime convictions by a U.S. military commission.

An affidavit by Khadr filed with the court says the impact of his bail conditions are mainly psychological — a daily reminder of what he went through.

“I feel like the indefinite and potentially endless detention that I suffered in Guantanamo Bay is continuing,” he wrote. “I hope that there will be some end to this process, but there is none in sight.”

Khadr spent years in U.S. detention at Guantanamo Bay after he was caught when he was 15 and accused of tossing a grenade that killed special forces soldier Christopher Speer at a militant compound in Afghanistan in 2002.

I feel like the indefinite and potentially endless detention that I suffered in Guantanamo Bay is continuing

He says in his affidavit that he would like to be able to speak on the phone or over Skype to his sister Zaynab Khadr. He is also asking to perform the Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia which is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims once in their lifetime.

“For this reason, I would like to apply for a Canadian passport,” he said in the document.

Zaynab Khadr has spoken in favour of al-Qaida and was investigated in Canada more than a decade ago for helping the terrorist network, but she was never charged.

“My sister Zaynab is not presently in Canada,” Khadr said in the document. “She is living with her husband and family. As far as I am aware, she is not in any sort of trouble.”

The rules of Khadr’s bail allow him to meet with her but only in the presence of his bail supervisor or one of his lawyers.

Khadr also needs permission to travel outside Alberta, and has made several trips to Toronto both to visit his family and deal with a civil lawsuit there to enforce a judgement granted against him in Utah.

In his affidavit, Khadr said he has been volunteering with an organization that helps refugees integrate into the community and has earned his high school diploma. Khadr said he is happily married and was accepted into a nursing program, but has been unable to devote himself to study due to his legal issues.

“My reintegration into the community has been filled with happiness and not bitterness,” he wrote. “I have no anger towards anyone and I have been getting on with my life. I have made many friends, and I am proud and happy to be a Canadian citizen living in Canada.

“I have not gotten into any trouble of any kind with the authorities.”

His case has ignited sharp and divisive debate among Canadians over terrorism, human rights and the rule of law since the summer of 2017 when it was revealed the federal government had settled a lawsuit filed by him for a reported $10.5 million.

The payout followed a ruling by Canada’s Supreme Court in 2010 that Khadr’s charter rights were violated at Guantanamo and that Canadian officials contributed to that violation. </s> EDMONTON — An Edmonton judge has denied former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr's request for relaxed bail conditions and a Canadian passport.

Justice June Ross says there's no evidence of hardship or that the conditions are needlessly onerous.

She says nothing has really changed since the last time Khadr asked for changes to his bail conditions and the restrictions he faces are reasonable.

Ross says her decision is not etched in stone and conditions could change in the future.

Khadr's lawyer had argued that it wasn't fair that his client's life remains restricted by a stalled U.S. court process with no end in sight.

Khadr, 32, has been on bail since May 2015 pending his appeal of his conviction by a U.S. military commission on alleged war crimes. The appeal has stalled and Khadr has no idea of how long his bail conditions will last.

Khadr wanted to be able to travel to Toronto without the approval of his bail supervisor to visit his family more easily and to make court appearances related to a civil lawsuit filed by the family of an American soldier killed in the Afghanistan firefight in which Khadr was captured

He also wanted unsupervised conversations with his sister, who lives in the country of Georgia, and a Canadian passport so that he could make a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The Islamic religious pilgrimage, or hajj, is considered obligatory for practising Muslims.

Currently, he must contact his bail supervisor if he wants to leave Alberta. He can only talk under supervision to his sister Zaynab, who has spoken in favour of al-Qaida and was investigated in Canada more than a decade ago for helping the terrorist network.

"In Canada, appeals move quickly," Whitling had argued. "This is pending a foreign appeal, which has never happened before and this foreign appeal is extraordinarily slow."

He said his client has lived quietly for years, is happily married, follows bail conditions to the letter and poses no threat. Khadr's affidavit says he has been to Toronto eight times without issue since the conditions were imposed.

The Canadian Press Khadr is seeking a Canadian passport to travel to Saudi Arabia and wants permission to speak to his sister.

It's the latest of several attempts for relaxed bail conditions. In 2017, a judge denied most of his requests.

Khadr was sent to the notorious U.S. military holding facility at Guantanamo Bay in 2002 after he was captured and accused of throwing a grenade that killed a U.S. soldier in 2002.

He was 15 at the time and says he can't remember killing the soldier. He says he only confessed to the crime to get out of Guantanamo and into the Canadian justice system.

In 2010, the Supreme Court ruled that Khadr's rights were violated while he was in captivity in the U.S. and that the Canadian government had contributed to that. Khadr settled a lawsuit against Ottawa in 2017 with a $10.5-million payout. </s> EDMONTON — An Edmonton judge has denied former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr's request for relaxed bail conditions and a Canadian passport.

Justice June Ross says there's no evidence of hardship or that the conditions are needlessly onerous.

She says nothing has really changed since the last time Khadr asked for changes to his bail conditions and the restrictions he faces are reasonable.

Ross says her decision is not etched in stone and conditions could change in the future.

Khadr's lawyer had argued that it wasn't fair that his client's life remains restricted by a stalled U.S. court process with no end in sight.

Khadr, who is 32, has been on bail since May 2015 pending appeal of his conviction by a U.S. military commission on alleged war crimes.

The appeal in the U.S. has stalled and Khadr has no idea of how long his bail conditions will last.

Khadr wanted to be able to travel to Toronto without the approval of his bail supervisor to visit his family more easily and to make court appearances related to a civil lawsuit he faces.

He also wanted unsupervised conversations with his sister and a Canadian passport so that he could make a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. </s> Omar Khadr will not have his bail conditions relaxed, an Edmonton justice decided Friday.

The justice called his current conditions reasonable and said “they should continue while Mr. Khadr is on bail.”

Now 32, the former Guantanamo Bay detainee asked to be able to travel to Toronto without approval of his bail supervisors, and to make court appearances related to a civil lawsuit filed by the family of an American soldier who was killed in the Afghanistan fight in which Khadr was captured. He also wanted unsupervised conversations with his sister and a Canadian passport to make the hajj to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, a pilgrimage considered obligatory for practicing Muslims.

On bail since May 2015, Khadr has had to contact his bail supervisor when wanting to leave Alberta.

His sister Zaynab, who now lives in the Europe-Asia border country Georgia, has spoken favourably of al-Qaida and was previously investigated by Canada for helping the terrorist network. Khadr’s contact with her was to be supervised.

With files from Sarah Plowman and The Canadian Press </s> EDMONTON — A judge has denied former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr’s request for relaxed bail conditions and a Canadian passport.

Justice June Ross said Friday that nothing has changed since the last time Khadr asked for eased bail conditions and there’s no evidence the current restrictions create hardship or are needlessly strict.

“The passage of another year has changed neither Mr. Khadr’s legal status nor my view of the law,” Ross said in Edmonton Court of Queen’s Bench. “The evidence does not indicate a current hardship arising from bail conditions.”

Khadr wanted to be able to travel to Toronto without the approval of his bail supervisor to visit his family more easily and to make court appearances related to a civil lawsuit filed by the family of an American soldier killed in the Afghanistan firefight in which Khadr was captured.

He also wanted unsupervised conversations with his sister, who lives in the country of Georgia, and a Canadian passport so that he could make a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, an obligation for observant Muslims.

As it stands, he must contact his bail supervisor if he wants to leave Alberta. He can only talk under supervision to his sister Zaynab, who has spoken in favour of al-Qaida and was investigated in Canada more than a decade ago for helping the terrorist network.

Ross said Khadr’s desire to undertake a religious pilgrimage does not mean he needs a passport right away.

“It does not require Mr. Khadr to travel now.”

Ross concluded that the bail restrictions on Khadr’s movements and communications are common in Canadian law and are justifiable.

“Mr. Khadr is not a flight risk or a risk to public safety,” she said. “But it is reasonable to ensure that public authorities are kept informed as to his whereabouts.”

Ross said her decision is not etched in stone and conditions could change if an emergency arose for which he needed to travel.

Khadr’s lawyer had argued that it wasn’t fair that his client’s life remains restricted by a stalled U.S. court process with no end in sight.

Khadr, 32, has been on bail since May 2015 pending his appeal of his conviction by a U.S. military commission on alleged war crimes. The appeal has stalled and Khadr has no idea how long his bail conditions will last.

“In Canada, appeals move quickly,” his lawyer Nathan Whitling said in an interview before the judge’s ruling. “This is pending a foreign appeal, which has never happened before and this foreign appeal is extraordinarily slow.”

Whitling said his client has lived quietly for years, is happily married, follows bail conditions to the letter and poses no threat. Khadr’s affidavit says he has been to Toronto eight times without issue since the conditions were imposed.

It’s the latest of several attempts for relaxed bail conditions. In 2017, Ross denied most of Khadr’s requests.

Khadr was sent to the notorious U.S. military holding facility at Guantanamo Bay in 2002 after he was captured and accused of throwing a grenade that killed a U.S. soldier in 2002.

He was 15 at the time and says he can’t remember killing the soldier. He said he only confessed to the crime to get out of Guantanamo and into the Canadian justice system.

In 2010, the Supreme Court ruled that Khadr’s rights were violated while he was in captivity in the U.S. and that the Canadian government had contributed to that violation. Khadr settled a lawsuit against Ottawa in 2017 with a $10.5-million payout. </s> An Edmonton judge is to rule Friday on former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr‘s request for relaxed bail conditions and a Canadian passport.

Court of Queen’s Bench Justice June Ross was expected to make a decision last week, but she said there were enough unprecedented aspects to the application to warrant taking time to think it over.

READ MORE: Omar Khadr speaks after Edmonton judge reserves decision on bail condition changes

His lawyer Nathan Whitling said it’s not fair that Khadr’s life remains restricted by a stalled U.S. court process with no end in sight.

“His case is different because of the extraordinarily long time that he’s been on bail … because of the extraordinary delays that have occurred with his foreign appeal,” Whitling said in an interview.

Khadr, 32, wants to be able to travel to Toronto without the approval of his bail supervisor to visit his family more easily and to make court appearances related to a civil lawsuit filed by the family of an American soldier killed in the Afghanistan firefight in which Khadr was captured.

He also wants unsupervised conversations with his sister and a Canadian passport so that he can make the hajj to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The Islamic religious pilgrimage is considered obligatory for practising Muslims.

Currently, he must contact his bail supervisor if he wants to leave Alberta. He can only talk under supervision to his sister Zaynab, who has spoken in favour of al-Qaida and was investigated in Canada more than a decade ago for helping the terrorist network.

READ MORE: Justin Trudeau gets standing ovation for handling of Omar Khadr protester

Khadr said his sister now lives in the country of Georgia.

He has been on bail since May 2015, when it was granted by an Alberta judge pending appeal of Khadr’s conviction by a U.S. military commission on alleged war crimes. The appeal in the U.S. has stalled and Khadr has no idea of how long his bail conditions will last.

“In Canada, appeals move quickly,” Whitling said. “This is pending a foreign appeal, which has never happened before and this foreign appeal is extraordinarily slow.”

WATCH BELOW: Omar Khadr will have to wait a week to find out if his bail conditions will be eased. As Fletcher Kent explains, Khadr wants to travel and speak privately with his sister while he waits for an appeal of his U.S. war crimes conviction. (Aired Dec. 13, 2018)

He said his client has lived quietly for years, is happily married, follows bail conditions to the letter and poses no threat. Khadr’s affidavit says he has been to Toronto eight times without issue since the conditions were imposed.

READ MORE: Why Omar Khadr needs permission to see his controversial sister

It’s the latest of several attempts for relaxed bail conditions. In 2017, a judge denied most of his requests.

Khadr was sent to the notorious U.S. military holding facility at Guantanamo Bay in 2002 after he was captured and accused of throwing a grenade that killed a U.S. soldier in 2002.

He was 15 at the time and says he can’t remember killing the soldier. He says he only confessed to the crime to get out of Guantanamo and into the Canadian justice system.

READ MORE: A chronological look at Omar Khadr’s long legal odyssey

In 2010, the Supreme Court ruled that Khadr’s rights were violated while he was in captivity in the U.S. and that the Canadian government had contributed to that. Khadr settled a lawsuit against Ottawa in 2017 with a $10.5-million payout.

WATCH BELOW: Coverage from recent years of Omar Khadr </s> Why didn’t you take the money and just disappear?

This time, the former Guantanamo Bay detainee wants to be granted a Canadian passport to travel to Saudi Arabia and permission to speak to his controversial sister.

WATCH above as Anthony Furey puts Khadr’s latest request in perspective in a new episode of Furey Factor.

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Former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr asks for a Canadian passport to travel to Saudi Arabia and speak with his sister Zaynab Khadr.