Yemen to receive free Guantanamo prisoners [Archives:2005/895/Local News]

SANAA- Nov. 12 – The Yemeni Government said Saturday it was preparing to receive seven Yemeni prisoners who are to be released soon by the U.S. authorities from Guantanamo Bay prison, Cuba.

The defense ministry said in a statement that the U.S. authorities have decided to release seven Yemeni detainees in Guantanamo and to hand them over to Yemen. It added that local authorities were making arrangement to receive the seven men, who will be questioned by the Yemeni authorities once released to find out if they are suspected of involvement in terrorism activities, and be tried according to Yemeni laws.

It added that diplomatic talks with the United States were being held regarding the fate of more than 100 Yemeni prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay, where the American forces are holding hundreds of Muslims rounded up after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 on suspicion of terrorism.

Sana'a said that Washington promised to gradually hand over all Yemeni detainees held in Guantanamo; the ministry's statement came two days after the London-based Amnesty International, a human rights watchdog, urged the Yemeni government to release four prisoners who are detained without charges since they were handed over from the U.S. authorities two years ago.
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