On March 1, 2007, the US military formally referred the charges against Australian Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks to a military commission. Under the Military Commissions Act of 2006 and the Manual for Military Commissions, Hicks was charged with one count of providing material support to terrorists and faced a potential life sentence. Although prosecutors initially also sought an attempted murder charge against Hicks, only the material support charge with two specifications was referred to a military commission by the Convening Authority. Hicks later served nine months under a plea agreement. He was transferred to Australia to serve the sentence, and was later released.



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