In pleadings before the U.S. District Court, Abu Khattala’s attorneys argued that interrogating him in such contexts made a mockery of the law. The government’s use of the high seas, they said, was little more than “well-planned lawlessness.” Testimony given by Abu Khattala at sea while tortured should be withheld, they said. In August 2017, a federal judge dismissed the request and ruled that Abu Khattala’s statements made during his detention at sea would be admissible in court.
