[JURIST] The US Department of Defense (DOD) [official website] announced Wednesday that it will transfer two Guantanamo detainees [press release] to Algeria. The unnamed individuals are among the more than 65 Guantanamo detainees that government officials have declared eligible for transfer. About 265 detainees remain at the base.

Algerian Justice Minister Tayeb Belaiz indicated in March that officials from his country had visited Guantanamo to identify Algerian detainees [JURIST report], and said that although the country would accept repatriation of the 17 then still held there, some might face criminal charges upon their return. US officials have expressed concern that former detainees considered dangerous are not simply set free. Another Algerian, Sufyian Barhoumi [charge sheet, PDF] was among a group of three Guantanamo prisoners charged [JURIST report] in May with conspiracy and providing material support for terrorism based on alleged involvement with an al Qaeda bomb-making group in Pakistan and Afghanistan.