Court Bars Detainee Transfer to Algeria
Legal News Feed
A federal appeals court Monday blocked the Bush administration from transferring a detainee at Guantanamo Bay to Algeria, where the prisoner says his life would be in danger from the government and al-Qaida.
The appeals court is stopping any transfer while it considers Ahmed Belbacha's request that he not be returned to his home country.
Belbacha was brought to Guantanamo Bay in 2002 from Pakistan. He had been an accountant at the Algerian government's oil company, Sonatrach.
Belbacha said that after he was recalled for a second term of service in the Algerian army, he was targeted with death threats by terrorists in Groupe Islamique Armee, then at the height of a violent campaign for an Islamic Algeria.
Belbacha never reported for duty, but he said the GIA visited his home at least twice and threatened him and his family. He left the country, traveling to France, England, Pakistan and Afghanistan before being taken into custody and sent to Guantanamo Bay.
The U.S. military has classified Belbacha as an enemy combatant, saying he associated with the Taliban in Afghanistan. The U.S. government said he is eligible for transfer subject to appropriate diplomatic arrangements for another country to take him.
Belbacha's lawyer, David Remes, said he went to court after hearing from a confidential source that Belbacha was to be sent to Algeria.
Related listings
-
DOJ: No comment on forcing encryption passphrases
Legal News Feed 12/19/2007[##_1L|1158682406.jpg|width="150" height="153" alt=""|_##]The U.S. Department of Justice won't say when it believes an American citizen should be forced to divulge his or her PGP passphrase. We've been trying for the last two days to get the DOJ to a...
-
Bush administration: Back off CIA tape probe
Legal News Feed 12/15/2007The controversy over destroyed CIA interrogation tapes is shaping up as a turf battle involving the courts, Congress and the White House, with the Bush administration telling its constitutional coequals to stay out of the investigation.The Justice De...
-
McDermott disappointed at Supreme Court rejection
Legal News Feed 12/04/2007U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott says he's disappointed the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to consider his appeal.He says he believes he had a First Amendment free speech case.Today's decision leaves a federal appeals court ruling in place. The court said th...
Victorville CA DUI defense Attorneys
The outcome of a DUI defense will have a long-term effect on anyone’s life, making the decision to receive legal representation an easy one. The fact is, most people accused of a DUI are first offenders with no criminal background. Whether this is your first run in with the law or you have had previous convictions, you are in need of a DUI defense attorney.
The charges you are facing for a DUI range from fines, a 12-month suspension on your license and worst-case scenario, prison time. Your attorney will be able to analyze your situation to decide the best way to go about your case.
Our attorneys know the tricky ways to challenge all of the DUI tests and know how to claim improper collection of evidence. We will be able to negotiate on your behalf and free you from charges and help you keep your drivers license. The DUI process can last up to several months, we can make this process easier on you. .