Barhoumi was detained at Guantanamo Bay almost 20 years ago, according to the Center for Constitutional Rights. “On August 9, 2016, the Periodic Review Board procedure determined that Mr. Barhoumis’s law of martial law was no longer necessary to protect against a continuing significant threat to the national security of the United States. “Therefore, the PRB has recommended that Mr Barhoumi be repatriated to his home country of Algeria, subject to assurances of safety and human treatment,” the Pentagon said in a statement. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin briefed Congress in February on the ministry’s intention to repatriate Barhoumi, the statement said. “Our government owes Sufyan and his mother years behind their lives,” said Sufyan’s lawyer, Sagiana Candidal of the Center for Constitutional Rights. “I am very happy to be home with his family, but I will miss his constant good humor and empathy for the suffering of others in the utterly depressing environment of Guantναnamo.” Barhoumi is the third Guantanamo detainee to be repatriated under the Biden government. The repatriation of Mohammed al-Qahtani to Saudi Arabia for mental health treatment was announced by the Ministry of Defense in March. The repatriation of Abdul Latif Nasir to his homeland, Morocco, was announced in July 2021. Both Barhoumi and Nasir received transfer licenses during the Obama administration. Al-Qahtani was given a transfer license during Biden’s rule. President Joe Biden has said he wants to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center. With the transfer of Barhoumi, 37 detainees remain in prison, of which 18 were released for transfer. CNN’s Rachel Janfaza contributed to this report.
