muselman
Junior Member
:salam2:
Three British residents held by the US at Guantanamo Bay have been released and will arrive back in the UK later, the BBC has learned.
Jamil el-Banna, Omar Deghayes and Abdenour Samuer are on board a chartered aircraft along with a doctor and Metropolitan Police officers.
Another freed UK resident, Shaker Abdur-Raheem Aamer, is expected to return to his native Saudi Arabia.
A fifth UK resident, Ethiopian Binyam Mohammed, will remain at Guantanamo.
The three released men were accompanied by officers from the Met's counter-terrorism unit as well as uniformed officers, whose presence was requested by the Foreign Office.
Omar Deghayes' sister, Amani, said his family would be concentrating on helping him to put his ordeal behind him.
"I'm extremely relieved that Omar's ordeal is finally coming to end after over five years of suffering in Guantanamo," she said.
"We're looking forward to spending the Eid as family together."
She said her brother had been on the receiving end of "brutal and illegal treatment".
Human rights solicitor Gareth Peirce, who has previously represented two of the men, said their families could not wait to see them.
"It happens that today is Eid so it is particularly poignant."
'Dangerous' accusation
The Americans accuse Palestinian Mr el-Banna of being an al-Qaeda recruiter and financier, Libyan Mr Deghayes of associating with al-Qaeda, and Algerian Mr Sameur of being trained for combat in Afghanistan.
There have been intensive negotiations between the UK and US authorities over the past few months.
The Pentagon insists that all five of the British residents are dangerous.
About 300 prisoners are held at Guantanamo Bay, set up at a US naval base in Cuba after the invasion of Afghanistan in early 2002.
The US argues that foreign nationals captured and detained outside the US have no recognisable constitutional rights.
Amnesty International's UK director, Kate Allen, welcomed the release of the three men and said they should be treated "first and foremost as victims of a serious miscarriage of justice".
"It's important that the government speaks out about the hundreds of men still held there - including at least two other men with ties to Britain - Ahmed Belbacha and Binyam Mohammed. These men must not become Guantanamo's forgotten prisoners."
She called on ministers to condemn the practices of rendition and secret detention, which the organisation claims "have fed the system at Guantanamo in the past six years".
Three British residents held by the US at Guantanamo Bay have been released and will arrive back in the UK later, the BBC has learned.
Jamil el-Banna, Omar Deghayes and Abdenour Samuer are on board a chartered aircraft along with a doctor and Metropolitan Police officers.
Another freed UK resident, Shaker Abdur-Raheem Aamer, is expected to return to his native Saudi Arabia.
A fifth UK resident, Ethiopian Binyam Mohammed, will remain at Guantanamo.
The three released men were accompanied by officers from the Met's counter-terrorism unit as well as uniformed officers, whose presence was requested by the Foreign Office.
Omar Deghayes' sister, Amani, said his family would be concentrating on helping him to put his ordeal behind him.
"I'm extremely relieved that Omar's ordeal is finally coming to end after over five years of suffering in Guantanamo," she said.
"We're looking forward to spending the Eid as family together."
She said her brother had been on the receiving end of "brutal and illegal treatment".
Human rights solicitor Gareth Peirce, who has previously represented two of the men, said their families could not wait to see them.
"It happens that today is Eid so it is particularly poignant."
'Dangerous' accusation
The Americans accuse Palestinian Mr el-Banna of being an al-Qaeda recruiter and financier, Libyan Mr Deghayes of associating with al-Qaeda, and Algerian Mr Sameur of being trained for combat in Afghanistan.
There have been intensive negotiations between the UK and US authorities over the past few months.
The Pentagon insists that all five of the British residents are dangerous.
About 300 prisoners are held at Guantanamo Bay, set up at a US naval base in Cuba after the invasion of Afghanistan in early 2002.
The US argues that foreign nationals captured and detained outside the US have no recognisable constitutional rights.
Amnesty International's UK director, Kate Allen, welcomed the release of the three men and said they should be treated "first and foremost as victims of a serious miscarriage of justice".
"It's important that the government speaks out about the hundreds of men still held there - including at least two other men with ties to Britain - Ahmed Belbacha and Binyam Mohammed. These men must not become Guantanamo's forgotten prisoners."
She called on ministers to condemn the practices of rendition and secret detention, which the organisation claims "have fed the system at Guantanamo in the past six years".