Attorneys for young Gitmo detainee seek his release, say Afghan officials ready to pick him up

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Attorneys for young Gitmo detainee seek his
release, say Afghan officials ready to pick him up

By: NEDRA PICKLER
Associated Press

07/28/09 12:30 PM EDT WASHINGTON — Attorneys for a young Guantanamo Bay detainee being considered for prosecution in the United States said Tuesday that he should be released immediately and that Afghanistan is ready to pick him up.

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Jawad's attorneys have been fighting in U.S. District Court in Washington for his release, arguing that he only confessed to the crime after being tortured by Afghan officials. They argued in a court filing early Monday that the United States does not have the authority to keep him at Guantanamo Bay and his detention is illegal.

"Having concededly subjected Mr. Jawad to years of torture and abuse, and unlawfully deprived him of his liberty for approximately a third of his life, this court should reject this brazen attempt by respondents to further prolong his detention," the filing said.

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The Justice Department argues it has new evidence for a criminal investigation. If Jawad were indicted and brought to the United States, he'd be only the second Guantanamo detainee brought to face trial in a U.S. criminal court. The other is Ahmed Ghailani, who was sent to New York in June to face charges he helped orchestrate two bomb attacks on U.S. embassies in Africa in 1998.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/ap/49658947.html

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