WA: Military commission not acceptable for Hicks, Beazley says

AAP General News (Australia)
04-13-2006
WA: Military commission not acceptable for Hicks, Beazley says

PERTH, April 13 AAP - The Australian government should demand David Hicks be put on
trial in a United States civil court now, says federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley.

Adelaide-born Hicks has been held by US authorities at Guantanamo Bay since he was
captured with Taliban forces in Afghanistan in late 2001.

He has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit war crimes, attempted
murder and aiding and abetting the enemy.

His military commission trial is currently on hold, pending the decision of a related
US Supreme Court matter involving another terrorist suspect.

Mr Beazley today said the federal government should be telling the US to try Hicks
in a civil court.

"The Australian government should ... say to the Americans, 'Look you have had him
now for four years, put him on trial in a US civil court now'," Mr Beazley told reporters
in Perth.

He said Labor had total confidence in US civil courts, but none for the military commission,
which Hicks is expected to face.

"A military commission is not acceptable, that is not the way America would try their
own citizens and we want the same justice for David Hicks that any American would get,"

he said.

Hicks, whose mother was born in the United Kingdom, has applied for British citizenship.

A UK appeals court overnight upheld a ruling against the British government's bid to
deny Hicks citizenship, increasing his chances of being freed from the US military prison.

Britain, unlike Australia, has successfully fought for the release of all its nationals
from Guantanamo Bay.

AAP den/lk/it/nf

KEYWORD: HICKS BEAZLEY

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