US says Guantanamo inmate sent back to Tunisia

The U.S. Department of Defense has confirmed that Ridah Bin Saleh al-Yazidi, a detainee at Guantanamo Bay, has been repatriated to Tunisia. Al-Yazidi was sent back after being deemed eligible for transfer following a thorough interagency review process. The Pentagon, however, did not disclose whether he had admitted to any wrongdoing during his time in custody.

Since the inception of Guantanamo Bay in 2002, the facility has been used by the U.S. to detain individuals described as unlawful combatants, who were captured during the U.S. “war on terror.” Located within a U.S. naval base on the southeastern coast of Cuba, the detention center has been at the center of legal and human rights debates for years.

Al-Yazidi’s transfer had been long-awaited, with reports suggesting that he was never formally charged with any crimes. According to an unconfirmed report from the New York Times, he had been approved for transfer over a decade ago but had remained at Guantanamo Bay since its establishment. The Times also reported that al-Yazidi was among the initial group of detainees brought to the facility in 2002.

As of the latest Pentagon statement, there are still 26 detainees remaining at Guantanamo Bay, with 14 of them eligible for transfer. This number reflects the ongoing U.S. efforts to reduce the prison’s population, which has shrunk considerably over the years. Earlier in December, the Pentagon announced that three other detainees had been repatriated, continuing the trend of reducing the number of individuals held at the facility.

Guantanamo Bay was originally established by the administration of President George W. Bush as a site for holding and interrogating suspected terrorists, with the aim of gathering intelligence and prosecuting individuals for war crimes. However, the detention center has become a symbol of controversy, particularly due to the prolonged detentions without charge and the use of controversial interrogation techniques such as “enhanced interrogation,” which many critics argue amount to torture. The legality of detaining individuals without trial has been the subject of numerous legal challenges and debates, both domestically and internationally.

In recent years, there has been significant pressure from human rights organizations, legal advocates, and some members of Congress to close Guantanamo Bay, citing concerns over the violation of human rights and the U.S. commitment to upholding the rule of law. While the number of detainees at the facility has decreased over time, the closure of the prison remains a contentious issue, with some fearing that closing it could signal a weakening of the U.S.’s counterterrorism efforts.

Al-Yazidi’s repatriation is part of the broader effort by the U.S. government to reduce the detainee population at Guantanamo, although the process has been slow and complicated. The transfer of detainees is often contingent on the diplomatic arrangements made with the detainees’ home countries, which must agree to accept them. In many cases, the U.S. government seeks assurances from the receiving nations that the detainees will not engage in terrorism or other activities that could pose a threat to U.S. interests.

The ongoing debate over Guantanamo Bay, its detainees, and the future of the facility continues to be a sensitive issue. Advocates for closing the prison point to the negative impact it has on the U.S.’s reputation globally, particularly in terms of human rights and the fight against terrorism. On the other hand, proponents of maintaining the facility argue that it serves as a critical tool in the fight against terrorism and provides a secure location for holding dangerous individuals.

Al-Yazidi’s release is one step in the U.S. government’s ongoing efforts to reduce the Guantanamo Bay population. The decision to send him back to Tunisia is in line with efforts to fulfill the long-standing objective of closing the facility, although challenges remain in terms of how to manage the remaining detainees and address the broader concerns surrounding the U.S. detention policies.