Seal of the Office of Military Commissions, U.S. Department of Defense.
The hearings I am scheduled to observe at Guantanamo in the case against alleged al Qaeda leader Hadi al-Iraqi are set for 10 days, 20 to 31 July 2015. Many issues are set to be litigated. This blog will introduce some of these topics:
- Defense motion to dismiss
The defense is asking the judge to dismiss the case as a whole, or, alternatively, to dismiss just on charge (Count V, Conspiracy).
- Motion to suppress defendant’s statements.
The defense is asking the court to prohibit the Government from admitting at trial many statements made by the defendant.
- Government motions on admissibility of certain evidence
The prosecution wants the court to determine whether the judge will permit particular pieces of evidence to be admitted at trial.
- Personal jurisdiction
This motion asks to judge to rule whether the court has personal jurisdiction over the defendant. The Government will have the burden to establish that the court has the authority over this particular defendant so that the court can conduct his trial. If the court does not have jurisdiction, then the trial cannot go forward.
A busy 10 days.
The prosecution and defense have submitted hundreds of pages of briefs and other documents related to these and other motions. It looks like it can be a busy 10 days for us at Guantanamo Bay.
I am excited about the opportunity to observe these proceedings. I will work hard to help keep you posted. In the meantime, please keep reading about the case!
By Greg Loyd – Guantanamo Bay, Cuba