KABUL: Two Afghan prisoners held in the US’s Guantanamo detention center have returned to Kabul on Monday after 15 years of imprisonment in the US center, followed by seven years of home detention in the Gulf.
Abdul Zahir Sabir and Abul Karim returned from Oman where they have been in home detention for seven years.
“The Afghan people will be happy to see these two Afghans freed from Guantanamo. One of them is from Khost province and the other from Logar province, they both were arrested by US forces in 2002. They were first taken to Bagram and then Guantanamo and were there until 2017,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate.
According to Zabiullah Mujahid, Abdul Zahir Sabir was arrested in May 2002 and Abdulkarim was arrested in August of the same year by US forces and they were taken to the Guantanamo in the US.
There is reportedly still one Afghan prisoner remaining in the prison.
“One Afghan is still imprisoned in Guantanamo and efforts are under way to get him released (inaudible ) … has insisted that innocent prisoners should be released,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate.
Family members of the two Afghan prisoners expressed joy over their relatives’ release and return to the country.
“He spent 17 years in Guantanamo and then he was in home prison in Oman where he spent seven years. As a result of efforts of the leadership of the Islamic Emirate, he has returned home,” said Muhammad Osman, son of Abdul Zahir Sabir.
“The whole family turned into Mujahidin (religious fighters) after they [released prisoners] were innocently arrested, imprisoned and were treated inhumanely,” said Ulfat Hashimi, a relative of the released prisoner.
The last Afghan prisoner in Guantanamo is Abdul Rahim who has been there for 17 years, and his family members have asked the Islamic Emirate to make efforts for his release.
