Al-Jazeera cameraman freed from Guantanamo, after 6 years

kenmabmcc

http://www.cpj.org/news/2008/mideast/usa_sudan01may08na.html

Quote:

Al-Haj, who is Sudanese, is the second journalist to be freed by the U.S. military in the last month after being held for a prolonged period without due process.

On April 16, Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein was released from U.S. custody in Iraq, ending a two-year ordeal in which he fended off unsubstantiated accusations from the U.S. military that he had collaborated with Iraqi insurgents.

All told, 10 journalists have been held for extended periods by the U.S. military and then released without charge.

The U.S. military continues to hold Jawed Ahmad, a journalist for Canadaâ€™s CTV, at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Ahmad has been held without charge since October 26, 2007, according to CTV. â€œJawed Ahmad should be charged or released immediately,â€ Simon added.

Al-Haj, 38, was detained in December 2001 by Pakistani forces along the Afghan-Pakistani border while covering the U.S. led-offensive to unseat the Taliban. He was later transported by the U.S. military to Guantanamo Bay in June 2002. He began a hunger strike in January 2007 to protest his continued incarceration.

The only confirmed journalist held at Guantanamo, al-Haj was never charged with a crime and he never faced trial.

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