Source:
BBCThe alleged "20th hijacker" in the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US tried to commit suicide days before his charges were dropped, his lawyer said. Mohammad al-Qahtani thought he was to be executed at the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay and attempted suicide, his attorney Gitanjali Gutierrez said.
The Pentagon dropped the charges of murder and war crimes against Mr Qahtani on 13 May. No reason was given for dropping the charges, which could be filed again.
Ms Gutierrez said her client had tried to cut himself at least three times in April, once badly enough to require hospital treatment.
Mr Qahtani had made the suicide attempts after learning that he and five other Guantanamo prisoners faced possible death sentences for their alleged roles in the 11 September attacks that killed about 3,000 people.
Read more:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7411821.stm
And a related article. Why has the US dropped 9/11 charges? (Answer: Torture)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7399644.stmThe American government has given no reason why charges against the man it has alleged was the "20th hijacker" in the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US have been dropped. Mohammad al-Qahtani has been held at Guantanamo Bay since 2002, following his detention in Afghanistan. In February, he was charged with conspiracy, terrorism, and murder in violation of the laws of war, among other offences.
The US alleges he attempted to come to the United States in order to take part in the 9/11 attacks, but was stopped at the airport on his arrival. An immigration officer suspected he intended to stay in the US illegally, and refused him entry.
The charges were dropped "without prejudice" - which means they could be brought again at a later date.
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As well as his military lawyer, Mr Qahtani is represented by a civilian lawyer from the Center for Constitutional Rights - a New York-based legal rights organisation. The CCR said in a statement it believed the charges against him had been dropped because Mr Qahtani had been tortured. "The government's claims against our client were based on unreliable evidence obtained through torture at Guantanamo," it said.