The US Department of Defense has confirmed the repatriation of Guantanamo Bay detainee Ridah Bin Saleh al-Yazidi to Tunisia.
This follows a comprehensive interagency review that deemed him eligible for transfer. The Pentagon refrained from commenting on whether Yazidi has admitted any wrongdoing.
Since its establishment in 2002, the Guantanamo Bay detention facility has been used to house individuals the US government deems unlawful combatants captured during the “war on terror.” The facility is located within a US naval base in south-eastern Cuba.
According to a report from the New York Times, which has not been independently verified, Yazidi was never formally charged and had been approved for transfer more than ten years ago. The report further claims that he has been held at Guantanamo Bay since the facility’s inception.
The Pentagon’s statement on Monday noted that 26 detainees remain at the facility, with 14 of them eligible for transfer. Earlier in December, the US repatriated three other detainees, as reported by the Associated Press.
The camp was originally set up during the Bush administration to detain high-risk suspects for interrogation and prosecution related to war crimes. The detention of individuals without charge and the use of controversial interrogation methods have been central to ongoing debates surrounding the facility.
Frances Ibiefo
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