OTTAWA: More than 28,000 people have signed a petition calling for Canada’s government to honor a deal with Washington to bring home a young Canadian held for 10 years at the US military base at Guantanamo Bay, it was announced Thursday.

Omar Khadr, who was born in Toronto and became a child soldier for al Qaeda, was 15 in 2002 when he was wounded and captured by US troops during a four-hour US ground and air attack in Afghanistan.

He has been eligible for a transfer to Canada since October 2011 after pleading guilty in 2010 to five war crimes, including for throwing the grenade that claimed the life of US soldier Christopher Speer.

Khadr’s lawyers said the deal, which had been diplomatically agreed on by Washington and Ottawa, would allow him to complete his sentence in Canada, if he spent one additional year in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

But the deal has not been implemented, with critics pointing to a small but vocal opposition in Canada that views Khadr as a risk.

The Canadian government has requested videos and transcripts of Khadr’s psychiatric assessments, which Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said are needed to ensure Canada’s correctional service and parole board can effectively secure and properly administer Khadr’s sentence.

One of the psychiatrists who interviewed Khadr in the tapes has described him as manipulative, angry, and “highly dangerous,” and said it would be tough for him to reintegrate into society.

Canadian Senator Romeo Dallaire, a strong advocate on behalf of child soldiers, launched the online petition.

Dallaire said he sought to engage with Canadians “to help build a tidal wave of support for Omar Khadr's return.”

“In a matter of days, tens of thousands have responded, adding tremendous power to this call,” he said.

“It is my sincere belief that if Canadians from coast to coast continue to coalesce, we can force the Canadian government to honor its promise and finally repatriate this former child soldier.”