The Pentagon has repatriated to Tunisia a prisoner who has been held at the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, since its opening almost 23 years ago. His release is part of the efforts of the administration of US President Joe Biden to reduce the number of prisoners in the prison. The New York Times reported it, UNNreports.
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59-year-old Ridah Bin Saleh al-Yazidi spent so many years in prison because he failed to negotiate his repatriation. It is noted that the military court never brought charges against the prisoner. In addition, his transfer was approved more than ten years ago.
It was only on Monday, December 30, that it became known that he had been taken from the base in a covert operation that was completed 11 months after the Defense Department notified Congress that an agreement had been reached to return him to Tunisia, the Pentagon said.
Yazidi's transfer is the fourth in the last two weeks as part of the Biden administration's efforts to reduce the number of inmates at the military prison, which had 40 when President Biden took office. After his departure, the prison was left with 26 inmates, 14 of whom were transferred to other countries in compliance with diplomatic agreements and security measures.
Nine more have either been convicted of war crimes or have had proceedings opened against them. This means that the White House will once again fail to realize President Barack Obama's ambitious goal of closing the prison, The New York Times reports.
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In January, the prison will be 24 years old. It holds people who were detained after September 11, 2001, on suspicion of involvement in international terrorism. Captured fighters of al-Qaeda, the Taliban and other organizations that are recognized as terrorist organizations in the United States were also sent here.