ADELAIDE, Australia -- (AP) -- An Australian court on Tuesday relaxed some of the restrictions placed on a former Guantánamo Bay detainee who pleaded guilty to being an al Qaeda foot soldier in Afghanistan.

Federal Magistrate Warren Donald upheld an order requiring Australian citizen David Hicks, who pleaded guilty to supporting terrorism under a deal that ended more than five years in U.S. military detention, to report to police and restricting his movement.

But Donald granted Hicks' request that some of the conditions be eased so he can get a job and fit back into society.

Hicks, 36, is the only U.S.-held detainee ever convicted by a military commission at the U.S. Navy base in southeast Cuba, although on a plea agreement in place of a full-blown trial.

Hicks, a former kangaroo skinner, was captured among Taliban supporters in Afghanistan by U.S.-backed forces in December 2001, and turned over to U.S. troops.

After more than five years of detention without trial, he was brought before the military tribunal on a charge of giving material support to al Qaeda.

Under the deal, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years in prison and was then released into Australian custody to serve the remainder of his term in his home country.

He was freed in December, but Australian federal police sought the court-imposed control order after arguing that he was still a terror threat.

Under the new terms of the order, Hicks only has to report to police twice a week instead of three, and is free to live anywhere in Australia, not just his home state of South Australia, provided the location is approved by police.

Other restrictions, including that he not leave the country and not possess weapons, remain in place.

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