US Releases Guantanamo Bay Prisoner Held Without Charges Since 2002

Ridah Bin Saleh al-Yazidi, one of the first Guantanamo Bay inmates, has been repatriated to Tunisia.

The Details: According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Defense, al-Yazidi was found eligible to transfer through a "rigorous interagency review process." New York Times (Lean Left bias) reported he had never been charged, and the administration of former president Barack Obama had approved him for repatriation in 2010 or earlier. A former State Department official told the Times Tunisia had been “too dangerous or uninterested in taking him,” which stalled repatriation.

For Context: Guantanamo Bay currently has 26 detainees, 14 of whom are eligible to transfer. Earlier this month, the prison repatriated three other detainees. Guantanamo Bay was opened shortly after the 9/11 terror attacks to hold people suspected of being involved with the Taliban or al-Qaida. The prison is controversial for extreme punishments, including torture, and the vague legal status of its prisoners due to its location in Cuba.

How the Media Covered It: The Independent (Lean Left Bias) provided context behind Yazidi’s detainment and experience at the prison, mentioning that prisoners “were subjected to torture, including waterboarding, sleep deprivation, sexual harassment and physical abuse.” BBC News (Center Bias) kept its coverage brief, reporting that there are still 26 detainees in the prison and that “the Pentagon did not say if [al-Yazidi] had accepted any guilt.” Just the News (Lean Right bias) mentioned the establishment of the prison in 2002 under George W. Bush.