Australian government refuses to apologize to former Guantanamo Bay detainee

The Australian federal government has continued its refusals to apologize to former Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks despite that the United States overturned his conviction for supporting terrorism.

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 on Thursday after it was found the charge did not exist at the time of his arrest.

His father immediately called for official apologies from both the Australian and American federal governments for supporting his conviction. However, Australia has been quick to reject such proposals.

In a report published by News Ltd. on Friday, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said "not now, not ever" would he apologize to Hicks, adding: "He was up to no good, on his own admission."

In the same report, Australian attorney general George Brandis questioned Hicks's motives for being in Afghanistan and challenged the legalities of the verdict reached by the U.S. government. "The review was about the validity of the U.S. law under which he was convicted, not about whether he carried out the activities of which he was accused," Brandis said. "Mr 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's comments and released a statement that read "The U.S. 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." Endi