OTTAWA — Despite losing a second court battle, Prime Minister Stephen Harper appears unwilling to comply with a federal court order demanding his government seek the return of Omar Khadr to Canada.

In a 2-1 ruling, the Federal Court of Appeal rejected Harper’s appeal to an earlier decision that demanded his government ask the U.S. to release Khadr from Guantanamo Bay.

Describing the ruling as a “split decision” Harper hinted that he would be willing to take up the legal battle to avoid bringing Khadr home further.

“The Department of Justice will be examining that decision and obviously I won’t be commenting until we see their analysis and their recommendations,” Harper said.

Khadr has been a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, since 2002, accused of killing a U.S. soldier with in Afghanistan that same year when he was just 15 years old.

Khadr is the only remaining Westerner being held in Cuba and Canada is the only country not to have demanded, and received back, citizens held there.

“I am taking this opportunity today to plead with the Canadian government that they stop the legal wrangling and ask the United States to bring Mr. Khadr home,” said Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae.