Lawyer for Australian Gitmo detainee says charges have no basis in international law News
Lawyer for Australian Gitmo detainee says charges have no basis in international law

[JURIST] A lawyer for Australian Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks [advocacy website] said Wednesday that he has secured opinions from several international lawyers concluding that the US government's terror-related charges [PDF] against Hicks have no foundation in international law. Hicks, whose trial before a US military commission has been suspended pending the outcome of a process appeal by another detainee, has been imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive] on allegations that he collaborated with the Taliban. In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation [transcript], Hicks civilian lawyer David McLeod challenged the legality of the prosecution's case, and said Hicks' chances are “looking brighter as the days go by”. McLeod noted that the military commission process has been under such intense scrutiny that problems are being revealed in the prosecution's case on a daily basis. In March, Australian Attorney General Philip Ruddock asked the US to expedite proceedings against Hicks [JURIST report]. Australia's ABC has more.