US repatriates Tunisian detainee Ridah al-Yazidi after 22 years at Guantanamo

Ridah al-Yazidi was detained at Guantanamo since it opened in January 2002, without ever being charged with a crime.

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The United States has repatriated Ridah Bin Saleh al-Yazidi, a Tunisian detainee held at Guantanamo Bay, to Tunisia, the Pentagon confirmed on Monday.

This marks the fourth detainee transferred out of the military prison in December 2024.

Al-Yazidi, 59, was cleared for transfer after a “rigorous interagency review process,” according to a statement from the US Department of Defense. He had been detained at Guantanamo since its opening on January 11, 2002, without ever being charged with a crime.

In January 2024, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin notified Congress of the plan to repatriate al-Yazidi. The detainee was accused in 2007 by US military assessments of being a member of the militant group al Qaeda.

However, human rights organizations have questioned the reliability of these assessments. Al-Yazidi had been cleared for transfer since 2007, under both the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, but had remained at the facility for over a decade due to delays in his release.

The repatriation is part of President Joe Biden’s broader effort to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center, though progress has been slow.

At the start of the Biden administration, the facility held around 40 detainees. As of now, 26 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay, with 14 deemed eligible for transfer.

Earlier in December, the US transferred Mohammed Abdul Malik Bajabu, who had been held since 2007 without charge, to Kenya.

Two detainees, Mohammed Farik bin Amin and Mohammed Nazir bin Lep, were repatriated to Malaysia. Both men had pleaded guilty to war crimes related to attacks carried out by an al-Qaeda affiliate in Southeast Asia in the early 2000s.

The Guantanamo Bay detention center, opened in 2002, was initially intended for the interrogation of suspects in the war on terror. Over the years, however, it has become a symbol of human rights concerns, with detainees being held indefinitely without trial.

Despite promises from multiple US presidents to close the facility, it remains operational, with ongoing efforts to transfer detainees or bring cases to trial.

The closure of Guantanamo Bay has faced significant political and legal challenges. While President Obama made the closure a campaign priority, it was not achieved during his two terms. Under President Donald Trump, an executive order was signed in 2018 to keep the facility open.

The Biden administration continues to transfer detainees, but closing Guantanamo remains a complex issue, balancing national security concerns and human rights advocacy.