US frees 14 Saudis from Guantanamo
The US has repatriated 14 Saudi nationals who were being held at the Guantananmo Bay prison camp.
One was released because US officials said the detainee was no longer an “enemy combatant”.
The other Saudis were released after an administrative review process determined they could be transferred from the detention centre.
The latest transfer leaves around 120 detainees whom the US has decided are eligible for “transfer or release”, the Pentagon said in a statement on Saturday.
Around 310 prisoners have been tranferred from the camp to other countries including Albania, Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden and Uganda.
“Departure of these remaining detainees approved for transfer or release is subject to ongoing discussions between the United States and other nations,” the Pentagon said.
The latest repatriation leaves about 450 prisoners at the US naval base in Cuba.
Long detention
Some 759 people have been held over the years at the Guantanamo Bay camp.
Of those, 136 have been Saudis, making them the second largest contingent of Guantanamo prisoners, only behind the 218 Afghans detained there.
International criticism of US treatment of the prisoners grew this month after three men held at Guantanamo committed suicide.
They were the first prisoners to die at the base since the United States began holding terrorism suspects there in 2002.
Dozens of inmates have attempted suicide and many have gone on hunger strikes.