[QUOTE][QUOTE][IMG]http://www.sbs.com.au/news/sites/sbs.com.au.news/files/styles/full/public/images/1/1/11Dec_DavidHicks_800x600.jpg?itok=JY6ShA71&mtime=1421954643[/IMG][/QUOTE]David Hicks is set to have his terrorism conviction overturned after the US conceded that the former Guantanamo Bay inmate is innocent, his lawyer says.
Adelaide-born Mr Hicks was 26 when he was captured in Afghanistan in 2001 by the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, which believed he was fighting for al-Qaeda.
Hicks said he only pleaded guilty in an Alford plea agreement to escape the "indefinite solitary confinement I was suffering in Guantanamo Bay".
"I am just sorry it has taken so long to clear my name."
Source:
[URL]http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/01/23/us-admits-hicks-innocent-lawyer[/URL][/QUOTE]
Fourteen years in a concentration camp. I wonder how he's going to be compensated for that.
[editline]22nd January 2015[/editline]
Not to mention all the people who don't have the good fortune to be white and are wrongfully imprisoned there.
[editline]22nd January 2015[/editline]
For anyone who still thinks most of the people at Guantanamo are supposed to be there, or that the US isn't actually torturing the inmates, I suggest you watch this:
[url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0854678/]Taxi To The Dark Side (2007)[/url]
[url=http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x21ew6b_taxi-to-the-dark-side-2007-full-documentary_shortfilms]Dailymotion link[/url]
[QUOTE=archangel125;46990840]Fourteen years in a concentration camp. I wonder how he's going to be compensated for that.
[editline]22nd January 2015[/editline]
Not to mention all the people who don't have the good fortune to be white and are wrongfully imprisoned there.
[editline]22nd January 2015[/editline]
For anyone who still thinks most of the people at Guantanamo are supposed to be there, or that the US isn't actually torturing the inmates, I suggest you watch this:
[url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0854678/]Taxi To The Dark Side (2007)[/url][/QUOTE]
He was held until 2007.
The whole thing was a fucking joke and the US lost a lot of reputation for torturing a confession out of him in my eyes.
[QUOTE=MuTAnT;46990907]He was held until 2007.
The whole thing was a fucking joke and the US lost a lot of reputation for torturing a confession out of him in my eyes.[/QUOTE]
A lot of those other prisoners, including the ones held in Guantanamo, were brought in and arrested not by NATO forces, but by roving militia. They'd give them a pittance - A couple hundred bucks, maybe - for every member of the Taliban or every insurgent they brought in. Now a couple of hundred bucks is a small fortune to these guys. They'd look for people who wouldn't be missed, take them to the prison camps, and make bank. Not like the government would be likely to find out. They're not giving these guys a trial. Didn't even bother checking their facts.
Please keep in mind that this is not the government going "He didn't do anything", it's the government going "We accept that the charges were invalid for legal reasons and we don't have an issue with the convictions being overturned based on this. He's innocent of the charges since they aren't applicable to him". It's an important difference, they are not saying he didn't do what they are accusing him of.
[QUOTE=shauntp;46991630]Please keep in mind that this is not the government going "He didn't do anything", it's the government going "We accept that the charges were invalid for legal reasons and we don't have an issue with the convictions being overturned based on this. He's innocent of the charges since they aren't applicable to him". It's an important difference, they are not saying he didn't do what they are accusing him of.[/QUOTE]
The legal system is established to prevent the wrongful conviction and incarceration of parties who were not guilty of the crimes they are accused of. A finding that the charges are 'not applicable to him' means he didn't do it. Innocent or otherwise, though, his life is forever ruined because people think like you're thinking here.
[QUOTE=archangel125;46991649]The legal system is established to prevent the wrongful conviction and incarceration of parties who were not guilty of the crimes they are accused of. A finding that the charges are 'not applicable to him' means he didn't do it. Innocent or otherwise, though, his life is forever ruined because people think like you're thinking here.[/QUOTE]
What are you talking about? I never said I agreed with his conviction or that I thought he was guilty. I was saying that they aren't changing they're minds about his actions or admitting they were wrong to assume he did wrong. They're just saying he's innocent of the charges that were laid, not backpedaling on whether they think he assisted terrorist's or not which I think is a pretty important difference.
[QUOTE=shauntp;46991688]What are you talking about? I never said I agreed with his conviction or that I thought he was guilty. I was saying that they aren't changing they're minds about his actions or admitting they were wrong to assume he did wrong. They're just saying he's innocent of the charges that were laid, not backpedaling on whether they think he assisted terrorist's or not which I think is a pretty important difference.[/QUOTE]
Then I misunderstood, sorry. And yeah, that seems to be the general idea with them - They don't even allow lawyers proper access to their clients.
[QUOTE=archangel125;46991707]Then I misunderstood, sorry. And yeah, that seems to be the general idea with them - They don't even allow lawyers proper access to their clients.[/QUOTE]
All good, I got the feeling you thought I was aiming my post at you when I meant it as a general comment for people who skim through without reading the full article.
Also, the guy actually moved to my old suburb! Never saw him around unfortunately, from what I gather he stayed super low profile.
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