David Hicks's US military lawyer says he will travel to Guantanamo Bay in the next few weeks to check on the welfare of his client.Major Michael Mori has confirmed Hicks has been moved into solitary confinement in recent weeks, but says his legal team has not been given a legitimate reason.
| Does there need to be one? |
| If he's quiet he can hear his ward mates snore ... |
Maj Mori says being in confinement will break Hicks's will. "When I first went and saw him back in December 2003 he was in isolation," he said. "He didn't have access to sunlight and he was basically a shell of a person.
"To move him back now into isolation and undo everything the Australian consulate has worked hard to provide him, I don't understand what's going on."
The UK High Court is expected to rule tonight on whether Hicks is eligible for British citizenship, which his lawyers hope will help clear the way for his release.
A civilian lawyer for Hicks, Joshua Dratel, says there is no legitimate reason for keeping his client under those conditions. "They have not provided any explanation and certainly there is not any disciplinary or security interest involved," he said. "It's a mystery in terms of any specific reason but we think that it's part of the arbitrary and punitive nature of the way that they treat David."
Mr Dratel says the process under which changes at the jail are made is arbitrary. "All the things that become routine are no longer available," he said. "Certain psychological aspects of it, such as solitary confinement, lack of sunlight, are extremely important in keeping one's psyche in order."
| Remind us how Mr. Hicks's victims are doing? |