Lawyers wary of Bay Three release
By GEOFFREY BEW
Published: 1st September 2006
LAWYERS for three Bahraini detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay are sceptical that they could be among 120 prisoners set for release by the US government. The US Department of Defence has announced that six captives had already been transferred out of the facility, in Cuba, as a result of the Administrative Review Board (ARB) process.
This included one sent to Germany and five others to Afghanistan.
In a statement, it said another 120 detainees were eligible for transfer or release through a comprehensive series of review processes, which include discussions between the US and other nations.
Lawyers wary of Bay Three release
By GEOFFREY BEW
Published: 1st September 2006
LAWYERS for three Bahraini detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay are sceptical that they could be among 120 prisoners set for release by the US government. The US Department of Defence has announced that six captives had already been transferred out of the facility, in Cuba, as a result of the Administrative Review Board (ARB) process.
This included one sent to Germany and five others to Afghanistan.
In a statement, it said another 120 detainees were eligible for transfer or release through a comprehensive series of review processes, which include discussions between the US and other nations.
“The US does not desire to hold detainees for any longer than necessary,” it said.
“The department expects that there will continue to be other transfers and releases of detainees.”
The news came only a month after the AFP news agency quoted a diplomat saying the three remaining Bahraini detainees would be released “soon”, but gave no further details.
Legal team head Joshua Colangelo-Bryan understands that the five detainees released to Afghanistan were Afghani nationals.
But he told the GDN he is not optimistic that any of the other 120 will be free shortly, let alone that Bahraini captives could be among them.
“Very few people have been released since that statement was first made several months ago,” he said.
“The reasons, of course, are known only by the US government.
“If there is such a list only the military knows the contents of it.
“We have not heard anything recently regarding the return of our clients and we only hope that the government of Bahrain is continuing to work, as we understand it has been, to bring our clients home.”
Officials in Bahrain and the US have not commented on efforts to release the men, but sources earlier admitted there had been a significant increase in activity between the US Embassy in Bahrain, the Foreign Ministry and Bahrain Embassy in the US about the issue.
The US Embassy in Bahrain has repeatedly refused to comment.
Salah Abdulrasool Al Balooshi, Juma Mohammed Abdullatif Al Dossary and Isa Abdulla Al Murbati are approaching their fifth year at the US-run prison camp without charge or trial.
According to the US military, Al Dossary, 32, has attempted to kill himself 13 times.
The Bahrainis are among around 450 detainees still in Guantanamo Bay.
Lawyers for the three remaining Bahraini detainees have expressed concerns that the men feel they have been forgotten by Bahraini authorities.
Mr Colangelo-Bryan said the stress and isolation of life at the detention facility had drained any remaining optimism they had about their possible release.
He was made the comments following a three-day visit to the prison camp, in Cuba.
Former Bahraini Guantanamo detainees Abdulla Majid Al Nuaimi, 24, Adel Kamel Hajee, 41, and Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, 27, were returned to Bahrain in November last year.
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