Saeed's trial

 My client was convicted by the Algerian Court of terrorism today. They sentenced him to 3 years in prison and took him away. The U.S. state department is responsible for this.

Trial Day for Saeed

 

The State department. Or I guess I should say, my state department, remains incommunicado in regard to the mess it has caused my Guantanamo client. They fucked up the transfer of Saeed by not getting assurances that they are willing to enforce. And I know that if they raised the issue of the assurances the Algerians would surely back down in prosecuting Saeed.

So now Saeed, who spent more than 22 years at Guantanamo without any charges lodged against him and then another seven months in an Algerian prison with charges pending based on unfounded accusations (proved by the fact that he was never charged)  by the United States, now faces a trial today. The hypocrisy is actually staggering but then so is everything about this nightmare for my client.

I prepared an affidavit for my client’s trial since I am unable to go to Algeria for the trial. In preparing the affidavit I reviewed my cleared records (unclassified) and I was reminded just how dishonest my government has been about this man. And they knew they were being dishonest. On the eve of his Habeas Corpus hearing back in 2010 the government changed its entire theory because I was able to show the original theory was false. No problem there. Just change the facts! And the “justice” department played along. And the Judge could have cared less but it is hard to imagine.

And so now I wait to see what the Algerian court will do to my client.