Akhdar Qasem Basit - No Longer Classed As "enemy Combatants"

No Longer Classed As "enemy Combatants"

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Uyghur notice of status
Wikisource has original text related to this article: The Justice Department statement on the U.S. District Court decision ordering release of the Uighurs detained at Guantanamo Bay -- 2008-10-07
Wikisource has original text related to this article: No. 08-5424 -- Filed On: October 8, 2008 -- BEFORE: Henderson, Randolph, and Rogers, Circuit Judges

On September 30, 2008, Gregory Katsas, Assistant Attorney General filed a "notice of status" for the remaining Uyghur captives—stating that they would no longer be classed as "enemy combatants". According to The AM Law Daily the Department of Justice was scheduled to appear before Ricardo M Urbina on October 7, 2008, to defend classifying the men as enemy combatants.

Although they were no longer considered "enemy combatants" camp authorities continued to hold six of the men in solitary confinement.

On Tuesday October 7, 2008, US District Court Judge Ricardo Urbina ruled that the Uyghurs had to be brought to the US to appear in his court in Washington DC on Friday 10 October 2008.

The United States Department of Justice filed an emergency motion to stay the Uyghurs' admission to the US. On October 8, 2008, a three judge appeal panel granted the emergency motion to stay the Uyghur's transfer. The judges stay was to enable the appeals court to consider the merits of the parties' arguments. The parties to file briefs by October 16, 2008.

On October 16, 2008, Clint Williamson, the State Department official responsible for negotiating a new home for the captives, complained that the Justice Department's description of the Uyghurs had undermined his efforts. Williamson is the State Department’s ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues. The New York Times quoted Williamson's comment about cancelling his overseas trips following the Department of Justice claims:

“I was scheduled to depart on another round of negotiations early this week. It was impossible to resolve some concerns we had about going forward at the time. As a result I canceled the trip.”


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