On Monday, the administration of President Joe Biden turned over its first detainee out of Guantánamo Bay to the Moroccan government with security assurances.

Abdul Latif Nasser, a Moroccan man who had been held at the maximum-security prison since 2002, had been cleared for release in 2016 but was kept detained. Since his detainment, Nasser was not charged with any crime but stayed in prison for 19 years.

Transferring Prisoners Out of Guantánamo

According to The New York Times, Nasser's release is the first sign of President Biden's efforts to reduce the prison population of Guantánamo Bay by repatriating the prisoners to their countries. It was, however, promised that the men will remain under tight security measures.

The process of transferring prisoners was pioneered by the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama but was put on hold.

Following the transfer of Nasser, Guantánamo is down to 39 prisoners, with 11 of them having been charged with war crimes. The maximum-security prison, which is located at the U.S. naval base, held around 675 prisoners at its peak, especially in the years following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Meanwhile, Biden's administration is yet to make more complex decisions about transferring prisoners. One of the prisoners in question is Mohammed al-Qahtani, a mentally ill man from Saudi Arabia who was reported to have been tortured in the facility. al-Qahtani is considered as the possible 20th hijacker during the 9/11 attack.

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There are still 28 remaining prisoners in Guantánamo who have remained in the custody of the U.S as indefinite law-of-war detainees amid the armed conflict against Al Qaeda. The prisoners have been detained for almost two decades without any charges. Ten out of the 28 have already been recommended for transfer out of prison, given security arrangements.

In a statement, a senior official from the Biden administration expressed gratefulness to the Kingdom of Morocco for its support of their efforts to repatriate prisoners out of Guantánamo. The official also stated Biden's White House is dedicated to reducing the population of detainees in prison. 

Repatriation of Nasser

Early on Monday, Nasser was transferred to the custody of the Moroccan government. According to his lawyer, Thomas Anthony Durkin, Nasser's family has vowed to support him in returning to society by helping him work at his brother's swimming pool cleaning business.

Based on military intelligence officials, Nasser was a former fighter of the Taliban who took part in a battle against U.S. focus who invaded the mountains of Tora Bora in late 2001.

On July 11, 2016, he was approved by a government panel for release with the condition that he will be sent back to his native country, Morocco.

According to Fox News, Nasser's release is only the start of Biden's goal to reduce the population of Guantánamo Bay. In February, White House press secretary Jen Psaki stated that it was Biden's intention to close down the Guantánamo Bay detention camp.

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Written by Jess Smith

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