US military releases long-held Guantanamo detainee to Tunisia
Al Jazeera
Transfer from the US military prison is the fourth in two weeks by the outgoing Biden administration.
The Pentagon has released a Tunisian detainee held in Guantanamo Bay since the first day the notorious prison camp opened in 2002 without ever being charged.
Ridah bin Saleh al-Yazidi was repatriated from the United States military prison in Cuba to Tunisia on Monday, the US Department of Defense said in a statement.
The transfer is the fourth in two weeks by the outgoing Biden administration in a quest to reduce the military prison’s population, which held 40 prisoners when Biden took office in 2020.
Al-Yazidi was “determined transfer-eligible by a rigorous interagency review process”.
“On Jan 31, 2024, Secretary of Defense [Lloyd] Austin notified Congress of his intent to support this repatriation and, in consultation with our partner in Tunisia, we completed the requirements for responsible transfer,” the Pentagon said.
