Mohamedou Ould Salahi, a high-profile Guantanamo Bay detainee, has been denied a request for Habeas review by a U.S. federal judge. The Obama administration admits the difficulty of his case saying that it may take "several more years" to resolve.
According to Courthouse News Service, Salahi's appeal for the review of his combatant status was denied by a federal judge. The Guantanamo Bay detainee's latest ruling focused on his request for a hearing before the Periodic Review Board (PRB) and whether it should be considered a habeas petition. It was reported that Salahi relied on the U.S. Supreme Court's decision during the 2001 Immigration and Naturalization Service v. St. Cyr case that involved habeas corpus relief for deportable aliens.
Royce Lamberth, U.S. district judge, denied Salahi's request on the grounds of lacking jurisdiction over the matter. He also rejected Salahi's claims that he was denied access to personal and legal materials over the course of his detention. This included having possessions such as photographs, letters, books and a personal computer taken away from him.
Salahi was accused of recruiting three jihadists involved in the 9/11 terror attacks in New York, according to CNS News. He has been detained at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp since August 4, 2002 and is being held under the Authorization of Use of Military Force Against Terrorists (AUMF). On January 2015, he published a memoir 'Guantanamo Diary' while still imprisoned, explicitly detailing his life of harsh interrogations and torture.
Court documents revealed that the Mauritanian national trained with al-Queda in Afghanistan in 1990 to fight against the Soviet-supported communist regime of Mohammad Najibullah. He was subsequently detained in January 2000, extradited in Jordan in 2002 and surrendered to U.S. military custody. On 2002, he was flown to Guantanamo Bay.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), representing Salahi, argued that his continued imprisonment violates multiple laws. A 2011 executive order issued by President Barack Obama allowed Guantanamo Bay detainees a PRB hearing to determine the warranty of their detention.
According to The Guardian, authorities admitted the difficulties posed by the PRB reviews and revealed that the processes could take "several more years". As of the present, only 19 out of 2017 men held in Guantanamo Bay received the promised PRB hearing.
Salahi has been detained in the controversial U.S. facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba since August 4, 2002. He was alleged by the U.S. government to be part of al-Qaeda during his time of arrest and continues to be held in captivity after 14 years. A writ of habeas corpus granted his release on March 22, 2010.
