US flee Kenyan from Guantanamo bay after 17 years without trial
The United States has released Mohammed AbdulMalik Bajabu, a Kenyan detainee held at Guantanamo Bay for over 17 years, marking a significant step in the facility’s ongoing closure efforts.
Bajabu’s release, announced by the Pentagon on Tuesday, reduces the number of detainees at Guantanamo to 29.
They concluded that he was not a security threat to USA.
Pentagon Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin notified Congress of the decision to repatriate Bajabu to Kenya last month.
The move followed a 2021 determination by the Periodic Review Board that Bajabu no longer posed a significant threat to U.S. national security.
Bajabu, who was accused of involvement with al-Qaeda’s East African branch, was arrested by Kenyan authorities in Mombasa in 2007. He was transferred to Guantanamo weeks later, where he spent years without formal charges or trial.
The organisation Reprieve US, which represented Bajabu, welcomed his release but highlighted the injustices he faced.
“The US robbed an innocent man of the best years of his life, separating him from his wife and young children when they most needed him.” Alawyer involved in his defense stated.
Bajabu’s ordeal began with allegations of torture during his initial detention in Kenya, which reportedly continued after his transfer to U.S. custody.
His lawyers and human rights advocates have long argued that his imprisonment was unjust and lacked sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations against him.
“The least the U.S. can do is ensure that Abdul Malik receives the support and the space he needs to begin his life anew.” The lawyer added.
Bajabu’s family, who have lived without him for nearly two decades, are now preparing for his reintegration into society. His children, who were infants when he was detained, are now adults.
His release reignites discussions about Guantanamo Bay’s legacy and the treatment of detainees held without trial.
Established in 2002, the detention facility became a global symbol of controversial interrogation practices and prolonged detention. Efforts to close Guantanamo have spanned multiple U.S. administrations but have faced political and legal hurdles.
“On December 27, 2021, the Periodic Review Board (PRB) process determined that continued law of war detention of Mohammed Abdul Malik Bajabu (ISN 10025) was no longer necessary to protect against a continuing significant threat to the national security of the United States. The PRB recommended that Bajabu be transferred subject to appropriate security assurances.” The statement published on the Pentagon’s website read in part.
The number of prisoners at the facility based in Cuba now stands at 29.
A prisoners rights lobby, Reprieve, while reacting to the move stated that it was unfair to keep him for three more years despite acknowledging he was no longer a person of interest to them.
Its deputy Executive Director Dan Dolan stated that his transfer should have happened earlier.
“This transfer is long overdue, so we celebrate it with mixed emotions. We know from our Life After Guantánamo project that the mental scars of torture and indefinite detention can take many years to heal. The very least the US Government can do, having imprisoned Abdulmalik Bajabu without trial for 17 years, is ensure that this is truly an end to his ordeal and the beginning of a new life with his family.” He said.
Reprieve, in its statement sent to media houses said that Bajabu’s family had promised to assist him pick up his life after almost two decades of incarceration.
