Washington - The Supreme Court has ruled that prisoners in the war on terrorism can challenge their detention at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in US federal courts, CNN reported Thursday. In a long-awaited decision, the highest US court ruled 5-4 in favour of the foreign detainees - designated enemy combatants by the US military.
The decisions in Boumediene versus Bush and al-Odah versus the United States could have repercussions for the military tribunals currently set up in Guantanamo to try detainees, many of whom have been held at the remote US naval base for five years or more.
The alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, had his first day in court on Thursday along with four other alleged accomplices.
The Supreme Court in 2004 and 2006 ruled against attempts by the administration of President George W Bush to keep terrorism suspects from challenging their detention in federal court.
