The US Court of Military Commission Review [2] on Sept. 9 ruled (PDF [3]) that Ali Hamza Ahmad Suliman al-Bahlul [4], media secretary of Osama bin Laden [5], was properly convicted of being a propagandist and should spend the rest of this life in prison. The 7-0 vote rejects the 2009 appeal (PDF [6]) of his conviction and life sentence for conspiring with al-Qaeda [7], soliciting murder and providing material support for terrorism. His Pentagon-appointed defense lawyers argued that his constitutional rights were violated because a supposed al Qaeda recruitment film he released is protected speech under the First Amendment.
Al-Bahlul's appeal was required under the Military Commissions Act [8] of 2006, and it is unclear whether he authorized the appeal. Al-Bahlul previously boycotted much of his trial proceedings. Al-Bahlul, a 39-year old Yemeni citizen, went on trial at Guantánamo Bay [9] in 2008. He is alleged to have been Osama bin Laden's personal assistant and media secretary and was charged in February 2008 with conspiracy, solicitation to commit murder and attacks on civilians, and providing material support for terrorism. He is accused of researching the financial impact of the 9-11 attacks and also releasing the "martyr wills" of 9-11 [10] hijackers Muhammed Atta and Ziad al Jarrah as propaganda videos. Al-Bahlul was the second detainee to go on trial at Guantánamo since the prison there opened in 2002 and is the only convict currently held at the facility.
From Jurist [11], Sept. 13. Used with permission.
