Tortured Former Gitmo Prisoner, David Hicks Has 'Material Support' Conviction Overturned

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Dan Froomkin @froomkin
David Hicks, first person convicted by Gitmo military commission, gets his conviction reversed http://ccrjustice.org/newsroom/press-releases/first-military-commission-conviction-reversed#.VOTecw_W1rw.twitter …


Former Guantánamo Prisoner Not Guilty of “Material Support”

February 18, 2015, Washington D.C. – Today, the U.S. Court of Military Commission Review (CMCR) vacated former Guantánamo prisoner David Hicks’s conviction in the military commissions for providing material support for terrorism. Hicks was the first prisoner to be convicted in a Guantánamo military commission and a party to CCR’s historic Supreme Court victory in Rasul v. Bush, which established that Guantánamo prisoners have a right to access U.S. courts to challenge their detention. Today’s ruling comes in the wake of an en banc decision by the D.C. Circuit, Al Bahlul v. United States, which held that material support for terrorism is not an offense triable by military commission.

“We are very happy for David. Today’s decision is a powerful reminder that he committed no crime, he is innocent of any offense,” said CCR Senior Staff Attorney Wells Dixon. “David Hicks can now be truly free of Guantánamo.”

Hicks pled guilty to providing material support for terrorism in 2007 because he was tortured and desperate to be free from Guantánamo. His torture is detailed in a 74-page affidavit released in 2004.

The case is Hicks v. United States. Co-counsel are Joseph Margulies and military defense counsel Samuel Morison and Major Justin Swick. David Hicks is represented in Australia by Stephen Kenny.


read: http://ccrjustice.org/newsroom/press-releases/first-military-commission-conviction-reversed#.VOTecw_W1rw.twitter

read today’s ruling here:

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