Pentagon Releases Tunisian Man Held in Guantanamo Bay for 23 Years Without Charge

The Pentagon has announced the release of Ridah bin Saleh al-Yazidi, a Guantanamo Bay detainee held without charges since the prison’s opening in 2002. The 59-year-old Tunisian national was transferred back to his home country in a covert operation, marking the end of a decades-long wait for repatriation despite his release being approved over ten years ago.

Al-Yazidi, detained by Pakistani forces near Afghanistan in 2001, was once suspected of being linked to Osama bin Laden’s security team, though no charges were ever filed against him. Notably, he appeared in a 2002 photograph showing detainees kneeling during the prison’s early days.

The Obama administration deemed him eligible for release in 2010, citing insufficient evidence for prosecution. However, Tunisia’s reluctance to accept him delayed his transfer. Ian Moss, a former State Department official, attributed the delay to Tunisia’s concerns about security and political instability.

The Biden administration, continuing efforts to reduce Guantanamo’s population, facilitated al-Yazidi’s transfer as part of broader moves to address the prison’s controversial legacy. Guantanamo Bay, which once held nearly 700 detainees at its peak, now houses just 26 individuals, including two convicted by military commissions.

Rights groups continue to push for the closure of Guantanamo, citing the facility’s history of human rights abuses, including torture and prolonged detentions without trial. Al-Yazidi’s release underscores ongoing challenges in finding stable countries willing to receive detainees cleared for transfer.

With 14 detainees still awaiting resettlement, the Biden administration faces mounting pressure to close the infamous facility, a goal that has eluded successive U.S. presidents.

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