Former Guantanamo Bay inmate released in Canada after 13 years in prison

The man who was once the youngest ever prisoner at Guantanamo Bay was released on bail from an Alberta, Canada, prison on Thursday.

Omar Khadr, 28, was born in Toronto and captured in Afghanistan when he was 15 years old, accused of throwing a grenade that killed a U.S. soldier, the CBC reports. He spent the last 13 years behind bars, including time in Guantanamo Bay, where he was the last Western citizen to be released. Khadr pleaded guilty in 2010 to several charges, including murder in violation of the laws of war and conspiracy, and was returned to Canada in 2012. Justice Myra Bielby ignored a request by the Harper government to keep Khadr in prison, instead releasing him on bail as he appeals his convictions in the United States.

The news was met with cheers by supporters of Khadr, who say he pleaded guilty under torture at Guantanamo Bay. During a news conference after his release, Khadr said: "I would like to thank the Canadian public for trusting me and giving me a chance. I will prove to them that I'm more than what they thought of me." As part of his bail, he will live with his lawyer in a home near downtown Edmonton.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.