2/19/2015
U.S. Overturns Terrorism Conviction against Australian Detainee in Guantanamo
SYDNEY – David Hicks, an Australian who was locked up for years in the U.S. Guantanamo naval base terrorist prison facility, has won an appeal in which a U.S. court overturned his terrorism conviction, his lawyers said Thursday.
The U.S. Court of Military Commission Review unanimously nullified the seven-year jail sentence that was imposed on Hicks in 2007 for supporting terrorism.
“It means David Hicks’ conviction has been set aside and he’s been declared an innocent man, so it confirms what we knew all along,” Hicks’ lawyer Stephen Kenny, told local news channel ABC.
Hicks’ defense, which had maintained that he was coerced into a confession, appealed before the U.S. military court arguing that the offense was not considered a war crime back in 2001 when he was detained by the U.S. troops invading Afghanistan.
The so-called “Australian Taliban,” who had always defended his innocence, was transferred to the U.S. base at Guantanamo immediately after his detention.
He was sentenced by the military court in 2007 and two months later flown to Australia to complete his sentence and was under house arrest until 2008 when he received full freedom.
Hicks, who appeared in court with Kenny on Thursday, said at a press conference in Sydney that the Australian government admitted that he was innocent and that it was unfortunate that he was imprisoned due to political issues and had to endure mental and physical torture for more than five years.
Hicks added that he was not seeking compensation, but said that someone should be responsible for his medical expenses to be treated for the torture he suffered.
His father, Terry Hicks, said he was demanding an official apology from the government responsible for detaining his son.
source
U.S. Overturns Terrorism Conviction against Australian Detainee in Guantanamo
SYDNEY – David Hicks, an Australian who was locked up for years in the U.S. Guantanamo naval base terrorist prison facility, has won an appeal in which a U.S. court overturned his terrorism conviction, his lawyers said Thursday.
The U.S. Court of Military Commission Review unanimously nullified the seven-year jail sentence that was imposed on Hicks in 2007 for supporting terrorism.
“It means David Hicks’ conviction has been set aside and he’s been declared an innocent man, so it confirms what we knew all along,” Hicks’ lawyer Stephen Kenny, told local news channel ABC.
Hicks’ defense, which had maintained that he was coerced into a confession, appealed before the U.S. military court arguing that the offense was not considered a war crime back in 2001 when he was detained by the U.S. troops invading Afghanistan.
The so-called “Australian Taliban,” who had always defended his innocence, was transferred to the U.S. base at Guantanamo immediately after his detention.
He was sentenced by the military court in 2007 and two months later flown to Australia to complete his sentence and was under house arrest until 2008 when he received full freedom.
Hicks, who appeared in court with Kenny on Thursday, said at a press conference in Sydney that the Australian government admitted that he was innocent and that it was unfortunate that he was imprisoned due to political issues and had to endure mental and physical torture for more than five years.
Hicks added that he was not seeking compensation, but said that someone should be responsible for his medical expenses to be treated for the torture he suffered.
His father, Terry Hicks, said he was demanding an official apology from the government responsible for detaining his son.
source
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