On October 25, 2016, United States District Judge John D. Bates dismissed Khan's petition for habeas corpus as moot. Khan had opposed the dismissal, arguing that, unless his detention was declared illegal, the Afghan government would continue to seize his land, deny him a passport, and prevent him from obtaining treatment for hearing loss he said he suffered from the loud music used in CIA interrogations. While throwing out Khan's lawsuit, Judge Bates wrote he was nevertheless "sympathetic to the pickle".