[JURIST] The UK Court of Appeal on Wednesday upheld a lower court decision [text; JURIST report] holding that Australian terror suspect David Hicks [JURIST news archive] should be granted British citizenship, dismissing an appeal [JURIST report] from Britain's Home Office [official website]. Hicks has been held at the US detention facility at Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive] since 2002 for allegedly supporting Taliban troops in Afghanistan. Hicks, who was born in Adelaide, is himself an Australian citizen; however, his mother has British citizenship. Hicks' attorneys petitioned the courts to grant him British citizenship as a part of an effort to free him from the detention facility. If he is granted citizenship, his attorneys hope that the British government will request his release from Guantanamo.

UK government officials have until April 25 to file another appeal to the House of Lords. If that appeal fails, the Home Office has a further opportunity to petition the House of Lords directly to rehear the case. AAP has more. BBC News has additional coverage.

7:35 PM ET – The Court of Appeal decision [text] is now available.