[JURIST] A US federal appeals court on Monday temporarily blocked the transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainee Ahmed Belbacha [BBC profile] to his home country of Algeria while it considers Belbacha's request for a permanent bar against the transfer. Belbacha has been cleared for release from Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive], but he argues that he will be tortured and perhaps killed if returned to Algeria.

The US Supreme Court in August denied [PDF text] Belbacha's emergency request to stay his transfer to Algeria [JURIST report]. Belbacha filed the emergency application for a stay [PDF text] after the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit lifted an earlier stay [order, PDF; JURIST report] on Belbacha's transfer. The appeals court instead put the case on an expedited schedule. US District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer ruled [AP report] in July the court lacked jurisdiction to consider the challenge. AP has more.