Three inmates from the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay have arrived in Saudi Arabia, after the White House rejected President-elect Donald Trump’s demand for a freeze on transfers.
An AFP reporter saw the three prisoners after they landed at a terminal normally reserved for royals at the Riyadh international airport.
The relatives of one inmate were waiting for his arrival.
They identify him as Mohammed Bawazir, a Yemeni, and say he had been held for 16 years at the US facility in Cuba.
The three were among 59 prisoners remaining at the detention center in Cuba.
On Tuesday, Trump tweeted: “There should be no further releases from Gitmo. These are extremely dangerous people and should not be allowed back onto the battlefield.”
Hours later, outgoing President Barack Obama’s spokesman, Josh Earnest, said he would expect “additional transfers” before Obama hands power to Trump on January 20.
— AFP
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From the Liveblog of
Thursday, January 5, 2017
