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PEORIA, Ill. — An al-Qaeda sleeper agent who admitted having contact with the alleged mastermind behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks was sentenced to more than eight years in prison Thursday.
U.S. District Judge Michael Mihm handed down a lighter sentence of eight years and four months in consideration of what defense attorneys called harsh treatment during the almost six years Ali al-Marri, 44, was held without charges in a U.S. Navy brig.
The judge’s decision could have far-reaching consequences because the United States still holds more than 200 people without charge at Guantanamo Bay. If convicted, those detainees also could argue their time in custody should be considered at sentencing.
