A dramatic set of events at the trial. Despite the trial not holding up to the standards of civilian law and laws in other countries, Salim Hamdan was found innocent of most charges including the most serious ones.
He was not sentenced for the maximum period the prosecution wanted - instead of 30 years, he was sentenced for 5 and a half years, and the judge said that the 5 years he spent at Guantanamo already would be credit against this, reducing it to 5 months more in total. The BBC is claiming that this was a deliberate snub at the Bush administration.
On the other hand, though this means he could go free in 5 months, the US government has already claimed the right to detain individuals like him indefinately.
BBC NEWS | Americas | Bin Laden driver given 66 months
Osama Bin Laden’s former driver has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison at the first US military trial in Guantanamo Bay.
Salim Hamdan was convicted on Wednesday of supporting terrorism, but acquitted of conspiracy to murder.
Prosecutors had demanded a sentence of not less than 30 years but Hamdan, a Yemeni, had pleaded for leniency.
The judge earlier ruled Hamdan could have 61 months’ credit for time served so he may be free in five months.
However, the US has previously argued it can detain all those it determines “enemy combatants” indefinitely as long as its so-called war on terror continues.
The BBC’s Kim Ghattas at the trial says the sentence is a dramatic snub to the Bush administration and came after just one-and-a-half hours of deliberation.
