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US transfers Uzbek Guantanamo detainee to Switzerland

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Tuesday that an Uzbek Guantanamo Bay detainee has been transferred to Switzerland. The detainee, whose identity will not be disclosed in order to facilitate his transition into life in Switzerland, was unanimously approved for transfer. The Swiss government agreed to accept the detainee for resettlement "on humanitarian grounds" after reassurances from the US that the man was not convicted of any crime and will not be a threat to public safety. The detainee was originally cleared for release in 2005, but could not return to Uzbekistan for fear of persecution. The transfer to Switzerland is the latest in series of recent transfers that may demonstrate a renewed commitment from the Obama administration to close the military facility. Other detainees have recently been sent to Slovakia, Algeria, Afghanistan, Somaliland and Yemen. Earlier this month, however, the White House announced that further transfers of detainees to Yemen will be suspended due to security concerns. Last week, a presidential task force recommended that 35 Guantanamo detainees face trial or military commissions.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on January 27, 2010 (boomark / email).