An Algerian man, accused of training al-Qaida terrorists and held at Guantanamo Bay since 2002, has been released and sent home to Algiers.
Sufiyan Barhoumi, 48, was recommended for release back in 2016 but was held back for six years nonetheless.
Barhoumi’s release was agreed upon in February, the Department of Defense said Saturday in a statement. The Algerian government provided unspecified “security assurances.”
Only 37 people remain detained at the notorious military prison in southern Cuba. President Joe Biden has resumed regular releases and stated his desire to close the controversial prison.
Barhoumi was captured by U.S. forces in Pakistan and had been in military custody ever since. According to 2004 documents obtained by WikiLeaks, Barhoumi was suspected of being a Qaida trainer and having ties to the group’s leadership.
However, Barhoumi never actually got a trial. He was so desperate to have a formal criminal case that in 2012 he offered to plead guilty to any charges just so he could have a definite prison term.
The feds didn’t take him up on the offer though. In 2016, the prison’s review board recommended his release, saying he actually wasn’t tied to al-Qaida or the Taliban. However, then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter rejected that decision and decided to keep Barhoumi behind bars.
Barhoumi is the second Guantanamo prisoner released in the past month. Mohammed al-Qahtani was released March 7. He had also been detained for 20 years.
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