Long-held Guantánamo Bay detainee sent back to Tunisia

A detainee at a military prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, has been repatriated to Tunisia, the Pentagon announced Monday.

Ridah Bin Saleh al-Yazidi, 59, was eligible to transfer following an interagency review process, the release said.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told Congress of his support to repatriate al-Yazidi in early 2024. The Defense Department worked with its partner in Tunisia to complete the transfer requirements, according to the department.

CNN reported that rights groups have noted al-Yazidi has been incarcerated at Guantánamo since its opening on Jan. 11, 2002.

He had been accused of being a member of al Qaeda, a U.S. military assessment from 2007 found, according to the outlet.

Though, he was never charged at the war court, The New York Times reported.

Human Rights First said that al-Yazidi has been eligible for transfer since 2007, by both former Presidents George W. Bush and Obama, but a deal was not reached, per CNN’s reporting.

Yazidi’s repatriation was the fourth in the last two weeks, according to The Times.

The Defense Department’s release noted that there are still 26 detainees at Guantánamo, 14 of which are eligible for transfer, three are eligible for a Periodic Review Board, seven are involved in military judicial processes and two have been convicted and sentenced.

Updated at 9:32 a.m. EST on Jan. 4, 2025, to reflect that al Yazidi was one of the longest held detainees at the facility.