TORONTO — The extradition hearing for Abdullah Khadr has been put over until Feb. 2

The 24-year-old Khadr was arrested on Dec. 17 on a provisional arrest warrant issued by the United States. The Americans accuse him of conspiring to kill U.S. citizens abroad. Crown attorney Robin Parker says the U.S. has 60 days from the date of arrest to formal request extradition.

The justice minister would then have 60 days to decide.

If there is no action from the U.S. after 60 days, Khadr would be released, but Parker says that is unlikely to happen.

Khadr was recently denied bail.

The judge said there was a risk al-Qaida operatives could help spirit him out of the country if he were released.

Khadr alleges he was tortured while in prison in Pakistan, where he had been detained without charge from Oct. 12, 2004 until his release and return to Canada last month.

An RCMP affidavit alleges that while in the jail, Khadr told U.S. investigators he had bought weapons for al-Qaida to use against Americans in Afghanistan.

He also apparently admitted to taking part in a plan to assassinate Pakistan's prime minister.

A conviction in the U.S. could come with a life sentence.