 THE mental health of Australian terror suspect David Hicks has deteriorated further and he is now unwilling to speak with consular officials, his Australian lawyer has said. Adelaide lawyer David McLeod has said Mr Hicks, being held at the US facility at Guantanamo Bay, has just met with his military lawyer Major Michael Mori who has reported that his physical and mental conditions have "slipped".
| “Hicks is overweight because of his poor diet and lack of exercise and is having trouble with his eyesight.” |
Mr McLeod has said Mr Hicks is overweight because of his poor diet and lack of exercise and is having trouble with his eyesight. Mentally, Mr Hicks has become suspicious of those who have claimed to represent his interests and recently has refused to speak to the visiting Australian consul for the first time. "Major Mori is finding David increasingly reluctant to interact, not because he doesn't want to but because he is finding it socially difficult to do so," Mr McLeod has said. "Major Mori's best description of David is that he is slipping."
| “Hicks has been in US custody at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba for almost five years...” |
Mr McLeod has made the comments at a rally in Adelaide in support of Mr Hicks, who has been in US custody at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba for almost five years. He has said it is time the Government accepted the fact that Mr Hicks has effectively served a five-year sentence in tough conditions and it is appropriate to release him to Australia, effectively on parole. |