Australia refuses apology to ex-Guantanamo Bay prisoner

Canberra, Feb 20
The Australian government Friday continued its refusal to apologise to a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner despite the US overturning his conviction for supporting terrorism.

David Hicks, who was held in Guantanamo Bay for five years between 2002 and 2007 after being captured in Afghanistan and wrongly convicted under the Military Commissions Act, had his name cleared Thursday after it was found that the charge did not exist at the time of his arrest, Xinhua reported.

His father immediately called for official apologies from both the Australian and American governments for supporting his conviction.

However, Australia has been quick to reject such proposals.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said "not now, not ever" would he apologise to Hicks, adding, "He was up to no good, on his own admission".

Australian attorney general George Brandis questioned Hicks's motives for being in Afghanistan and challenged the legalities of the verdict reached by the US government.

"The review was about the validity of the US law under which he was convicted, not about whether he carried out the activities of which he was accused," Brandis said.

"Hicks has made a number of admissions that he undertook training with militia and terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and that he had met Osama Bin Laden on many occasions and considered him a brother."

Meanwhile, John Howard, Australia's Prime Minister at the time of Hicks's arrest, echoed Brandis' comments and released a statement that read "The US verdict is about the legal process in that country".

"Nothing alters the fact that by his own admission, Hicks trained with Al-Qaeda, met Osama Bin Laden on several occasions, describing him as a brother."

"He reveled in Jihad. He is not owed an apology by any Australian government," the statement added.