Terror supporter freed from Australian prison
ADELAIDE, Australia – David Hicks, an Australian and the only person convicted on terrorism charges at a U.S. military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay, walked free today after more than six years behind bars.
The 32-year-old was released from prison in his home town of Adelaide in southern Australia after completing a nine-month sentence struck under a plea deal that followed more than five years’ detention without a trial at Guantanamo.
Hicks smiled briefly as he was led by guards toward the gate of the Yatala Labor Prison. In a statement released by his lawyer, he thanked supporters including rights activists and anti-torture groups who helped get him out of Guantanamo Bay.
Last week, a federal magistrate ruled that Hicks was a security risk because of the training he acknowledged receiving at terrorist camps in Afghanistan.
The magistrate ordered Hicks to report to police three times a week and obey a curfew by staying indoors at premises to be agreed on by police. The restrictions will last for one year.
The former Muslim convert – he renounced the faith while in detention – was caught on the side of the Taliban in Afghanistan in December 2001 by U.S.-backed local forces and handed to American authorities.
During his incarceration at Guantanamo, Hicks became a cause celebre in Australia, where many activists and politicians criticized former Prime Minister John Howard for allowing an Australian to languish for years in a foreign jail without trial.
Under increasing pressure as a tough election battle approached, Howard raised the issue of Hicks with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney during a visit to Sydney earlier this year, and the tribunal proceedings against Hicks started soon afterward.
Hicks pleaded guilty in March to providing material support to a terrorist organization.
He was sentenced to seven years in prison, though all but nine months’ prison time was suspended. Under the plea deal, Hicks was returned to Australia to serve out his time, agreed to remain silent about his treatment in custody. He also agreed not to speak with media until next year.