US repatriates Afghan unlawfully held for 15 years in Guantanamo Bay
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An Afghan man is released after being held in Guantanamo Bay for 15 years without being charged with any war crimes.
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Roman Khan holds a photo of his brother, Assadullah Haroon Gul, who was unjustly and illegally held in Guantanamo Bay for 15 years (AFP)
The US government has complied with a federal court order to release a former militia member from Afghanistan, who grew up in a refugee camp in Pakistan, after 15 years of unjust imprisonment without him being charged with any war crimes.
Haroon Gul, who is in his 40s, was held for 15 years in Guantanamo Bay, following multiple efforts of mediation by Qatar to secure his release. Haroon was captured in 2007. The Hezb-i-Islami militia, which he was part of, made peace with the Afghan government in 2016, and the Ghani government filed a petition in a US court seeking his return.
A US Air Force aircraft carrying Haroon left Guantanamo Bay on Thursday, and delivered him to Qatar, which mediated the process between the US and the Taliban-led Afghan government. He was then taken by a Qatari aircraft, and handed over to Taliban officials.
There are still 36 other detainees in Guantanamo Bay, and one other prisoner who, like Haroon, does not require approval to leave, has stated time and time again that his detention is unlawful, and that he wishes to return to his home country.
The United States government did not wish to repatriate him, on account of him cooperating with the US government and providing evidence against other detainees in some cases.
