Official announcements from the Department of Defense or U.S. government

Pentagon Transfers Guantanamo Detainee Ridah al-Yazidi, Held 23 Years Without Charges, Back to Tunisia

Dec 31, 2024, 05:36 AM

The Pentagon has transferred Ridah Bin Saleh al-Yazidi, a 59-year-old Tunisian man who was held at Guantanamo Bay for nearly 23 years since its opening in January 2002, back to Tunisia. Al-Yazidi was never charged with any crime during his detention. His transfer marks the fourth in a series of recent moves by the Biden administration aimed at reducing the detainee population at Guantanamo, which now stands at 26, with 14 of them approved for transfer to other countries. Al-Yazidi was captured in Pakistan in December 2001 and was suspected of being a bodyguard for Osama bin Laden. Despite being approved for transfer in 2010, his repatriation was delayed due to negotiations between the U.S. and Tunisia.