Ottawa shamefully handed over millions to a hostile war combatant while haggling over compensation for disabled Canadian soldiers who served the country, says a watchdog group fighting for veterans.

The Equitas Society says it wants the Canadian government to abide by the Charter rights of Canadian disabled soldiers and acknowledge claims under the New Veterans Charter, similar to the $10 million it recently awarded to Omar Khadr, a Canadian war combatant in Afghanistan.

The Society wants the government to stand up to its veterans’ obligations.

They want Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to honour elections promises that the Liberals made to restore lifelong pensions and fair compensation to disabled soldiers.

“I know many Canadians are outraged by Mr. Khadr receiving over 10 million dollars of taxpayer money, but every Canadian should be even more outraged that Prime Minister Trudeau is treating our disabled veterans so very poorly,” said Marc Burchell, president of Equitas Society.

“The Equitas Society and its legal team remain committed to obtaining fair compensation for our disabled veterans.”

Since 2012, a group of six disabled Afghan veterans who fought for Canada have been in a legal battle with the government over the meager disability benefits provided compared to what disabled veterans received before 2006, when the New Veterans Charter was introduced.

The NVC ended the practice of disabled soldiers receiving life-long pensions, which was replaced with a single settlement plan that resulted in many veterans only receiving a fraction of what others received in the past.

Ottawa has argued in court that it has no “social contract” with members of the Canadian Armed Forces and litigation is continuing with disabled veterans.

“In all my years of legal practice I have never witnessed a more deserving group of individuals deprived of so much by their own government”, said Don Sorochan, lawyer for the six disabled soldiers fighting Ottawa for disability benefits.