The US Department of Defense announced on Monday that 11 Yemeni detainees from the Guantanamo Bay prison have been resettled in Oman, leaving 15 prisoners still held at the facility.
“The United States appreciates the willingness of the government of Oman and other partners to support ongoing US efforts focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing the Guantanamo Bay facility,” the department said.
This transfer follows the repatriation of another detainee to Tunisia a week earlier, part of a broader effort to wind down operations at the controversial Cuban prison. Since its peak of nearly 800 detainees, the population has significantly dwindled.
Of the remaining 15 prisoners, three are eligible for transfer, three await review for possible release, seven face charges, and two have been convicted and sentenced.
Outgoing President Joe Biden, who pledged during his 2020 campaign to close Guantanamo, has yet to fulfill that promise as his term nears its end.
Opened after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the prison has drawn international criticism for its indefinite detentions and alleged human rights abuses. UN experts have described Guantanamo as a site of unparalleled notoriety.
