[JURIST] Tunisian officials have been mistreating and abusing two former Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive] detainees since their release from the US prison facility in June, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report [text] released Wednesday. The report alleges that the two men, who were held at Guantanamo Bay for five years without being charged with a crime, have been beaten, threatened, and coerced to confess to criminal charges [press release] since their return to Tunisia eleven weeks ago. They are currently in jail awaiting charges. According to HRW, Tunisia is allowing the mistreatment to occur despite having provided the US with diplomatic assurances that the prisoners would not be abused upon return.

The US Department of Defense transferred [JURIST report] the two men back to Tunisia in June after they passed through a review process. Since 2002, approximately 435 detainees have been transferred out of Guantanamo and approximately 340 remain [press release]. In the report, HRW asked the US to establish an advance notice of transfer procedure and allow potential transferees to challenge their transfers in federal court if they believe they could be subject to torture in their home country.