Gulf | Yemen
Four Yemenis home from Guantanamo
Yemen has received four of its citizens detained in Guantanamo Bay, taking the total number of Yemenis released till now to 12.
- By Nasser Arrabyee, Correspondent
- Published: 23:24 June 20, 2007
Sana'a: Yemen has received four of its citizens detained in Guantanamo Bay, taking the total number of Yemenis released till now to 12.
The security sources yesterday confirmed the arrival of the four Yemenis in Sana'a late on Tuesday.
"We received Hani Abdu Shu'alan, Ali Saleh, Fawaz No'man Hamoud, and Sadeq Mohammad Saeed only late last night," a security official, who preferred not to be named, told Gulf News yesterday.
The official said the men would be taken home after "some procedures". He declined to say how long these procedures will take.
Three of the four men were among the Yemeni detainees who met the Yemen security delegation to Guantanamo last year, said the official.
The families of the released meanwhile cannot wait to meet their loved ones who have been languishing in the detention centre for more than five years. "We cannot believe that they are here except after we see them with our eyes," said Abdul Salam, Sadeq's brother.
Overjoyed
"Praise be to God, Praise be to God, it's great news, I cannot thank you enough. I'm going to tell his mother now, she will die of joy and tears of joy," Mohammad Saeed, Sadeq's elderly father, told Gulf News.
"But we want to see him, where is he now, I want see him to make sure he is my son," he added.
An American lawyer, who represents 17 Yemeni detainees in Guantanamo, including one of the four released, confirmed that he had received a note that one of his Yemeni clients was handed over to Yemen on Tuesday.
"The United States has relinquished custody of the petitioner Sadeq Mohammad Saeed [ISN 069] and transferred him to the control of the government of Yemen," David Remes, of Covington and Burling LLP, told Gulf News over phone from Washington yesterday.
The number of Yemenis initially detained in Guantanamo Bay was 107.
Eight people previously released have returned home after spending time in Yemeni intelligence jails.
The US Department of Defence announced on Tuesday the transfer of six detainees from Guantanamo detention.
"Two detainees were transferred to Tunisia and four detainees were transferred to Yemen," the website of the department said.
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