The United States repatriates two Pakistanis who spent 20 years in Guantanamo

24 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United States announced Thursday the repatriation of two Pakistani citizens who have been detained for nearly twenty years at the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

The US Department of Defense has indicated that Abdul Rabbani and Mohamed Rabbani, both brothers, have been transferred to their country of origin, after the authorities of the United States and Pakistan have coordinated the repatriation.

The Rabbani brothers, who have never been charged with any crime, were detained during the US war against al Qaeda terrorism, reports.

The Pentagon has noted that in 2021 it was determined that the Rabbani’s detention was “no longer necessary” to protect the country “against a significant and continuing threat to security.”

“The United States appreciates the willingness of the Government of Pakistan and other partners to support the Administration’s continuing efforts focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing the Guantanamo facility,” reads a Defense statement.

Currently, there are 32 detainees in Guantánamo, of which 18 can be repatriated, according to the letter from the US authorities.

Several presidents of the country, such as Joe Biden or Barack Obama, have promised to close the detention center, following requests from the Government of Cuba, which has previously described the prison as an “appalling prison”, and which has criticized more than “20 years of scandalous abuses in illegally occupied Cuban territory”.

Cuba ceded control of Guantánamo Bay to the United States at the beginning of the 19th century, within the framework of a reconfiguration of the island’s sovereignty after the end of the Spanish colonial period, which initially implied the payment of 2,000 dollars a year in coins. gold. A treaty signed in 1934 reaffirms this particular lease, which was updated to $4,085.