Nine Guantanamo Bay detainees have been transferred to the government of Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon announced Saturday, NBC News reported.
A “comprehensive review” was conducted, examining “a number of factors, including security issues,” according to a Pentagon news release.
“The United States coordinated with government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to ensure these transfers took place consistent with appropriate security and humane treatment measures,” the release said.
Tariq Ali Abdullah Ba Odah was one of the nine transferred. He was approved for transfer in 2009 and has been on a hunger strike since 2007. He was regularly force-fed as of July 2015.
The move takes the total number of detainees at the prison down to 80, with 26 approved to be moved out of the facility. All nine of the detainees are from Yemen, Department of Defense officials told NBC News.
