Ridah Bin Saleh al-Yazidi, a long-term detainee at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, has been repatriated to Tunisia, according to the US Department of Defense. His transfer was approved after what officials described as a “rigorous interagency review process.”
While no charges were ever filed against Mr. Yazidi, reports suggest he had been held at Guantanamo Bay since its establishment in 2002. The Pentagon did not disclose whether he admitted any guilt before his release.
The Guantanamo Bay detention center, located within a US naval base in Cuba, has been used to detain individuals classified as unlawful combatants during America’s “war on terror.” Over the years, the facility has faced criticism for detaining individuals without charge and for its interrogation methods.
As of now, 26 detainees remain at the facility, with 14 eligible for transfer. Earlier this month, the Pentagon announced the repatriation of three other detainees, highlighting ongoing efforts to reduce the number of individuals held at the controversial site.
Guantanamo Bay was initially created to detain and interrogate individuals suspected of war crimes. However, the length of detentions and allegations of human rights violations have made the facility a focal point of international criticism.
