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Friday April 19, 2024

Last UK resident in Guantanamo released

LONDON: The last British resident in Guantanamo Bay was on Friday returning to London having been released after spending over 13 years at the military prison in Cuba, Britain´s foreign minister said. "I can confirm that he is on his way back to the UK now and he will arrive

By our correspondents
October 31, 2015
LONDON: The last British resident in Guantanamo Bay was on Friday returning to London having been released after spending over 13 years at the military prison in Cuba, Britain´s foreign minister said.
"I can confirm that he is on his way back to the UK now and he will arrive in Britain later today," Philip Hammond said.
The United States accused 46-year-old Saudi national Shaker Aamer of acting as a recruiter, financier and fighter for al-Qaeda, as well as being a close associate of Osama Bin Laden, but never charged him or put him on trial.
Prime Minister David Cameron´s office said on Thursday there were no plans to detain him on arrival.
"As soon as he is returned to the UK he is no longer in detention. He is free to be reunited with his family," said Cameron´s official spokeswoman.
Cameron personally raised Aamer´s case with US President Barack Obama when the pair met in January.
The father of four, who was twice cleared for release from the camp in 2007 and 2009, denied the allegations and said he was in Afghanistan working for a charity.
Aamer´s father-in-law Saeed Siddique called it "a delightful day for all of us."
"It´s really a miracle," he told the BBC.
"Everybody is looking forward to seeing him, especially after all this time. But it won´t be necessarily today."
Aamer´s US lawyer Cori Crider, who is also strategic director at prisoners´ rights group Reprieve, said: "We are, of course, delighted that Shaker is on his way back to his home and his family here in the UK.
"It is long, long past time. Shaker now needs to see a doctor, and then get to spend time alone with his family as soon as possible."
"We hope... he gets the psychological and medical care that he needs to be able to resume his life with his family in London."