ACLU: American detained by US military in Iraq freed News
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ACLU: American detained by US military in Iraq freed

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said Monday that an American illegally detained in Iraq by the US military for more than a year has been freed.

After an extensive court battle, the Trump administration and ACLU reached a settlement agreement allowing the detainee to be released in a third country, where he will once again be free. Parts of the agreement are confidential, and he is officially remaining unidentified for his safety and privacy.

In September 2017, the unidentified American was fleeing violence in Syria, where he had traveled to research and document the Syrian civil war. He was then seized by Kurdish forces and handed over to the US military, where he was labeled an “enemy combatant” and held without charges. For four months the government blocked the American’s access to a lawyer and the court system, despite his request.

In December 2017, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled that the Defense Department must allow “immediate and unmonitored access to the detainee for the sole purpose of determining whether the detainee wishes for the ACLU[] to continue this action on his behalf.”

The ACLU claims that the administration’s actions were unprecedented, “and a series of historic court rulings forced the government to respect the Constitution at virtually every turn.”

“The vitality of our Constitution depends on the determination of judges to protect individuals against government overreach. This should be the last time any administration attempts to deny an American’s basic rights.”