U.S. Repatriates Tunisian Detainee Ridah Bin Saleh al-Yazidi from Guantanamo Bay After 22 Years Without Charges, Fourth Transfer This Month

Dec 31, 2024, 12:04 PM

The U.S. Department of Defense has repatriated Ridah Bin Saleh al-Yazidi, a 59-year-old Tunisian national, from Guantanamo Bay to Tunisia after he was detained for 22 years without formal charges. Al-Yazidi was held at the facility since its opening on January 11, 2002, and was cleared for transfer in 2007. His transfer was approved following a rigorous interagency review process, as announced by the Pentagon. The Pentagon did not comment on whether al-Yazidi admitted any wrongdoing. His release marks the fourth detainee transfer this month, reducing the number of detainees at Guantanamo Bay to 26, with 14 of them eligible for transfer. The facility, established in 2002 to hold suspects in the U.S.-led 'war on terror,' has faced international criticism for its indefinite detentions and interrogation methods.