JURIST - Paper Chase: Three Guantanamo detainees transferred to Ireland, Yemen

[JURIST] The US Department of Justice (DOJ) [official website] Saturday announced [DOJ press release] that three more detainees have been released from the Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive] prison. Two Uzbek detainees were transferred to Ireland and one Yemeni national was transferred to Yemen. According to the DOJ's release:

As directed by the President's Jan. 22, 2009 Executive Order, the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force conducted a comprehensive review of each of these cases. As a result of that review, these detainees were approved for transfer from Guantanamo Bay. In accordance with Congressionally-mandated reporting requirements, the Administration informed Congress of its intent to transfer each of these detainees at least 15 days before their transfer.

The Irish government agreed [JURIST report] to accept the two Uzbek detainees this past July, but their identities will remain undisclosed at the request of the Irish government in order to maintain security and privacy. Yemeni detainee Alla Ali Bin Ali Ahmed was picked up [DOD materials, PDF] in an al Qaeda safe house in 2002 in Pakistan. The government had argued that Ahmed's detention was justified under the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) [text]. US District Judge Gladys Kessler ordered [redacted opinion, PDF] Ali Ahmed's release in May.

While the Obama administration decides what to do with Guantanamo detainees who are still under investigation or who have been charged with crimes, a number of former detainees are being relocated around the globe. Last week, the US said that it plans to transfer up to eight Uighur detainees [JURIST report] to Palau. Earlier this month, Hungary said that it would take one Guantanamo detainee [JURIST report] who is not under investigation by the US and who cannot return to his home country. In late August, Portugal accepted two Syrian nationals , and five other EU members agreed [JURIST reports] to give serious consideration to receiving former detainees.