ɐn ɐdˈɪʃənəl kˌɑːmplɪkˈeɪʃən wʌz ðætðə wˈɑːʃɪŋtən dˌiːsˈiː sˈɜːkɪt kˈoːɹt ʌv ɐpˈiːlz hæd ˌoʊvɚtˈɜːnd ðə sˈɛntənsᵻz ʌv tˈuː ˈʌðɚ kˈæptɪvz hˌuː hæd plˈiːdᵻd ɡˈɪlti tə ðə sˈeɪm tʃˈeɪndʒ nˈoːɹ plˈiːdᵻd tuː, æz ðə tʃˈɑːɹdʒᵻz bˈɑːɹd ðə fˌʌndəmˈɛntəl pɹˈɪnsɪpəl ðæt nˈoʊwˈʌn ʃˌʊd fˈeɪs tʃˈɑːɹdʒᵻz fɚɹən ˈækt ðæt wʌz lˈiːɡəl æt ðə tˈaɪm ðeɪ kəmˈɪɾᵻd ɪt, ænd ðæt nˈoːɹ tˈuː wʌz lˈaɪkli tə hæv hɪz sˈɛntəns ˌoʊvɚtˈɜːnd.
An additional complication was that the Washington DC Circuit Court of Appeals had overturned the sentences of two other captives who had pleaded guilty to the same change Noor pleaded to, as the charges barred the fundamental principle that no one should face charges for an act that was legal at the time they committed it, and that Noor too was likely to have his sentence overturned.