Longest detainee at Guantánamo Bay sent back to Tunisia

A detainee in a military prison a Guantanamo BayCuba, has been repatriated to Tunisia, the Pentagon announced monday

Ridah Bin Saleh al-Yazidi, 59, was eligible for transfer after an interagency review process, the statement said. He was the longest detainee in prison.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Congress his support for repatriating al-Yazidi in early 2024. The Defense Department worked with its partner in Tunisia to complete the transfer requirements, according to the department.

CNN informed that rights groups have pointed out that al-Yazidi has been imprisoned at Guantánamo since it opened on January 11, 2002.

He had been accused of being a member of al-Qaeda, according to a 2007 US military assessment, according to the outlet.

However, he was never charged at court-martial, The New York Times informed.

Human rights first he said that al-Yazidi has been eligible for transfer since 2007 by both former presidents George W. Bush and Obama, but no deal was reached, CNN reports.

The Yazidi repatriation was the fourth in the past two weeks, according to The Times.

The Defense Department statement noted that there are still 26 detainees at Guantánamo, 14 of whom are eligible for transfer, three are eligible for a Periodic Review Board, seven are involved in military court proceedings and two have been convicted and condemned

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