Shame on Australia that to get out of imprisonment of dubious legal basis, one of its citizens will have to pledge his eternal allegiance to a foriegn country.
An Australian held as a terror suspect at Guantanamo Bay has won a legal battle in the UK High Court to be registered as a British citizen.
David Hicks, often referred to as the “Australian Taleban”, can now call on UK officials to lobby for his release.
Mr Hicks, 30, whose mother was born in Britain, was captured in Afghanistan in 2001 allegedly fighting US-led forces.
The Muslim convert from Adelaide, South Australia, faces charges of conspiracy to commit war crimes.
US authorities have also charged him with attempted murder and aiding the enemy.
A judge in London ruled that Home Secretary Charles Clarke has “no power in law” to deprive Mr Hicks of his citizenship “and so he must be registered”.
Mr Hicks’ lawyers will now press ministers to make arrangements for him to take the required citizenship oath and pledge.
They will then urge the Home Office to seek his release from the detention camp in Cuba in the same way it has won freedom for all nine other British citizens held there.
Re: Britain to be forced to give citizenship, assistance to Aussie at Gitmo
Some of those 9 are currently in British jails. As for the guys released,I assume the govts realized these guys were actually not guilty, and were not a threat.
And they are born and raised British so their families would be able to get support that this Aussie would not get
"Britain does not accept the validity of the military commissions and has repatriated all nine of its citizens held in the US prison in Cuba. All have been freed on their return to Britain."
Even the people previously held without charge in the UK are no longer in jail - they are in their homes, subject to the following conditions:
* Electronic tagging so the government always knows where they are
* A night-time curfew from 1900 to 0700
* A ban on using mobile phones and the internet
* Obtaining permission from the Home Office if they wish to meet anyone outside their home
* Living at an address notified to the Home Office and police, who can search the property without warning
* No visitors unless the Home Office has been notified in advance, except for under-16s
* Notifying the Home Office of any intended departure from the UK, and the port of embarkation
* Bank account restrictions and sending monthly statements to the Home Office.
