* al-Harbi v. Obama (D.D.C. 6/1/10) (granting habeas to GTMO detainee Ravil Mingazov)
Back in May we learned that Judge Kennedy granted habeas relief to GTMO detainee Ravil Mingazov, a Russian citizen sometimes described in the media as the Russian “dancer” detainee because of his past training in ballet. In any event, the unclassified opinion is now available, and attached to this email. It turns primarily on the question of whether to credit Mingazov’s own inculpatory statements to various interrogators at GTMO. Mingazov argued that he exaggerated his own past conduct and associations in order to avoid being transferred back to Russia, and now recants those statements. Ultimately, Judge Kennedy credits the recantations, and finds that the government without those statements lacks sufficient evidence to support its allegations.
