U.S. Department of Defense announcements and official press releases

U.S. Repatriates Tunisian Detainee Ridah Bin Saleh al-Yazidi to Tunisia After 22 Years Without Charges

Dec 31, 2024, 03:40 PM

The U.S. Department of Defense has repatriated Ridah Bin Saleh al-Yazidi, a Tunisian national, from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility to Tunisia. Yazidi, who was 59 years old at the time of his release, had been held at Guantanamo since it opened in January 2002, without ever being charged with a crime. His transfer was approved following a rigorous interagency review process, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had notified Congress of the intent to repatriate him in January 2024. Yazidi had been cleared for transfer as early as 2007 but remained detained for 22 years. Following Yazidi's repatriation, 26 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay, with 14 of them eligible for transfer.