Yesterday, Salim Ahmed Hamdan was found guilty of material support for terrorism, after being held in U.S. custody for seven years. Today, the military court at Guantanamo sentenced him to five and a half years in prison; the prosecution had asked for a minimum 30-year sentence. The Guardian notes, however, that Hamdan will not necessarily be free in five years:
No matter what penalty Hamdan had received, he is subject to possible indefinite detention by the US military.
The AP adds:
The judge, Navy Capt. Keith Allred, said he did not know what would happen to Hamdan once his sentence is complete, but said he would likely be eligible for the same administrative review process as other prisoners.
Last month, Attorney General Michael Mukasey argued the U.S. should be able to imprison detainees “for the duration of the conflict” with “al Qaeda, the Taliban, and associated organizations.”
Update
Hamdan’s 5 1/2 year sentence includes the five years and one month already served and thus he is eligible to be free in five months.
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