US authorities announced transfer to Kenya the man was detained without charge for more than 17 years in the Guantanamo Bay military prison, which is the first repatriation of an arrestee to these facilities in more than a year, despite the Joe Biden administration proposing to close the center during his mandate.

The US Department of Defense identified the man as Mohammed Abdul Malik Bajabu -who has never been accused of any crime- and indicated that in December 2021 it was determined that His arrest was “no longer necessary”. For this reason, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin notified Congress last month (November 2024) of his intention to repatriate him to Kenya.

Bajabu has been in custody since 2007. as Mark Maher, a lawyer for the human rights group Reprieve US, which represented him, told CNN last year. According to court documents, the detainee was an associate of the al-Qaeda terrorist group in Africa.

The non-governmental organization Amnesty International believes that This is a “step in the right direction” although he clarified that “this is not enough” as there are still several people waiting to be released from Guantanamo who have not been charged with any crimes. “As a matter of fairness, they should be transferred as soon as possible.”

“We welcome the news that Mohammed Abdul Malik Bajabu, who has been held indefinitely without charge at Guantanamo for over 17 years, has finally been transferred from prison. The United States government is now obligated ensure that the Government of Kenya respects and protects their human rights.” said Daphne Eviatar, director of human rights security for a non-governmental organization in the United States.

AI assured that expects to “see more transfers in the coming days” as some of the people given the green light to leave prison had been in prison for “more than ten years.” “Biden must hand over these people before leaving office or he will remain responsible for the US government’s abhorrent practice of indefinite detention without charge or trial.”

At the moment, There are 29 prisoners left at Guantanamo. of these, 15 could be repatriated, according to US authorities. Among them three alleged 9/11 conspirators whose plea deals are at the center of an ongoing dispute between the Pentagon and a military judge.

“The United States appreciates US support for ongoing efforts to implement a thoughtful and comprehensive process. focused on responsible reduction of the number of detainees and ultimately close the Guantanamo Bay base,” the statement said.

Several of the country’s presidents, such as Joe Biden and Barack Obama, have promised to close the detention center following requests from the Cuban government, which had previously called this prison a “terrible prison” and that he criticized more than “20 years of scandalous violations in illegally occupied Cuban territory.”

(Europe Press)