US military court agrees to hear Hicks appeal Appeal: David Hicks. The US Court of Military Commission Review has accepted the appeal lodged this week by former Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks to overturn his conviction on an invented war crimes charge, and set a timetable for its hearing. Mr Hicks' US lawyer, Wells Dixon, revealed on Thursday that the commission had already issued an order and had set an expedited schedule for the case. Mr Dixon, from the Centre for Constitutional Rights in New York, has told ABC Radio that the moves by the commission gave him hope that "David will have some resolution or closure on this issue relatively soon." Lawyers for Mr Hicks lodged the appeal papers on Tuesday, arguing for a summary dismissal of his conviction for providing material support for terrorism because the offence was not a war crime at the time Mr Hicks was detained, and his guilty plea was made under duress because of his detention, torture and abuse at Guantanamo Bay. Mr Hicks' Australian lawyer Stephen Kenny has said the charge had been invented five years after Mr Hicks was detained and incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay. Mr Hicks was captured in Afghanistan in late 2001 and turned over to the US, before being taken to Guantanamo Bay in the first batch of prisoners to be held there. He was held for six years before being convinced to give an Alford Plea in terms of which he acknowledged the evidence but did not make any admissions. The plea is not recognised in Australia. Mr Hicks has said that he was depressed and suicidal at the time he agreed to the deal and believed it was the only way out of Guantanamo. He also signed a waiver of his right to appeal, but Mr Dixon said that waiver was never filed with the authorities and was not valid. Mr Dixon said the charge against Mr Hicks came at a time of political pressure in Australia when former prime minister John Howard was up for re-election and the indefinite detention of Mr Hicks was hurting the Howard government. Mr Dixon said Mr Hicks' conviction was "orchestrated" to try to help Mr Howard. Mr Dixon said that, although the appeal case was very clear, he expected the US would contest it, because, if it did not, it could signal the collapse of many other cases. He also brushed off suggestions that Mr Hicks had had it easier at Guantanamo than some other detainees. He said he was beaten, injected with unknown substances and abused. The horrible mistreatment goes on and on and on. It's overwhelming. It's disgusting. It was unlawful," said Mr Dixon.