First Prisoner Leaves Gitmo Since Trump Took Office

An unstaffed tower in an abandoned portion of Guantanamo's Detention Center Zone on February 12, 2017. The military approved release of this photo. (Emily Michot/Miami Herald/TNS)
An unstaffed tower in an abandoned portion of Guantanamo's Detention Center Zone on February 12, 2017. The military approved release of this photo. (Emily Michot/Miami Herald/TNS via Getty Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter
MIAMI (AP) — The Pentagon says a prisoner at the Guantanamo Bay detention center has been sent to his native Saudi Arabia to serve out the remainder of his sentence.Ahmed al-Darbi is the first prisoner to leave the U.S. base in Cuba since President Donald Trump took office.

Al-Darbi is returning to Saudi Arabia as part of plea deal.

He pleaded guilty before a military commission in 2014 to charges stemming from an attack on a French oil tanker and he has about nine years left to serve.

The U.S. agreed to send him to a Saudi rehabilitation program in exchange for what prosecutors say was “invaluable” testimony against other prisoners held at Guantanamo.

The Pentagon announced his transfer Wednesday. There are now 40 men still held at Guantanamo.

Latest News
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: