KEY POINTS:
In a strong rebuke to the anti-terrorism policies of United States President George W Bush, a judge in Washington has ruled that the Government had no grounds to continue holding five Algerian men who have been at Guantanamo Bay for the past seven years, and should free them without delay.
It is the first verdict in more than 200 habeas corpus petitions being brought before the US courts.
The petitions challenge the American Government to prove that there is evidence to justify keeping the men in Guantanamo Bay.
The judge, known for his conservative views, said the US Government should not appeal.
