“Yemen Will not be Another Guantanamo” : Ready to Receive Prisoners

"Yemen has always demanded its citizens back from Guantanamo Bay Prison", said Khalid Al-Akwa, the assistant deputy in the Ministry of the Foreign Affair. "The Yemeni government is ready to prepare a comprehensive rehabilitation program for the detainees when they return", added Al-Akwa.

Yemen pledged to treat the coming detainees according to the Yemeni law and constitution that criminalize torture. "Yemen will not be another Guantanamo for them."

He declined what has been rumored in some governmental newspaper that 13 detainees will be returned soon. "We have not officially been reported by the US government of that matter but we heard it from their [the detainees']lawyers."

This came in coincidence with a statement signed by more than 30 lawyers representing some of the Yemeni Guantanamo detainees from the United States saying that they do not believe that the Yemeni men will be tortured if they returned to Yemen.

The main purpose of issuing the statement was to remove any barrier that could possibly hinder the negotiations between Yemen and the US.

The US law states that the American government cannot transfer any prisoner without notifying his lawyers. However, lawyers said in their statement that they are not going to stop any transfer because they believe that "the Guantánamo prisoners will be treated humanely [in Yemen], and will not be tortured upon their return."

The Embassy of Yemen in Washington contacted the lawyers and informed them that Yemen's laws criminalize torture and they sent written documents to show that Yemen wants its citizens back, said Al-Akwa. However, U.S authorities declined receiving any document from the Yemeni government.

David Remes, the lawyer of 14 Yemenis held in Guantanamo, stated to the Yemen Post that the US government said that is willing to return some of the Yemenis, but this does not mean that the US government will release these Yemenis any time soon.  Remes added “The US government would return many Yemenis if the Yemen government would give US official assurances against torture. The Yemeni  government should give these assurances even if it believes that the assurances are not necessary, because the most important point is to return the detainees.”

"The Yemeni government should not allow a disagreement about a piece of paper to stand in the way,” continues Remes."

Remes said that all attorneys prioritize the return of their client over other demands. "The important point is to return our clients to Yemen and in the company of their families. "

Al-Akwa declined that Yemen's response could be the reason for the delay of releasing the Yemeni detainees. The Yemeni government previously agreed writing that they will not torture the Yemeni detainees. However, he pointed out that it is Yemen's rights to investigate anyone who comes from abroad and is accused. "This is a regular systematic procedure taken with anyone not only detainees," he said.

"As far as I know, no one of the ex-detainees had been held in prison." he adds.

The statement by the lawyers is believed to be made in this specific time, in order to encourage Yemen in giving the document to the U.S.

Remes concluded by saying that the document will not create any misunderstanding. "The world will understand clearly that Yemen gave the US the document for one purpose only -- to win the release of the Yemenis in Guantanamo.  The world will applaud and admire the Yemeni government for winning the release of its citizens."