British residents freed from Guantanamo Bay

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Three British residents are today flying back to Britain after being released from Guantanamo Bay.

Jamil el-Banna, a Jordanian, Libyan-born Omar Deghayes and Abdennour Sameur, an Algerian are expected to land at an unnamed British airport "imminently", according to the Foreign Office.
Jamil el-Banna, Omar Deghayes, Abdennour Sameur and Shaker Abdur-Raheem Aamer
From left: Jamil el-Banna, Omar Deghayes, Abdennour Sameur and Shaker Abdur-Raheem Aamer

The three men are not British citizens but all have previously lived in the country. They were given refugee status after being detained at the United States's controversial military prison in Cuba, where they have each been held for as much as six years.

They are flying back to Britain on a specially chartered plane, accompanied by officers from the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command.

It is not yet clear what will happen to them, but previous returnees from Guantanamo Bay have been questioned by British police and then released.

Their release follows months of negotiations between Washington and London. In July, Gordon Brown personally requested that the Americans release the men.

A fourth man, Shaker Abdur-Raheem Aamer, will be sent to his native Saudi Arabia.

Amani Deghayes, sister of Omar Deghayes, said she was "extremely relieved" at news of her brother's release, after a long campaign to secure his freedom.

"We're looking forward to spending the Eid as family together," she said.

"Our family has always said that Omar was totally innocent - one of the hundreds of people taken to Guantanamo by the Americans for no good reason."

The three man have previously indicated their intention to sue the US government for compensation for the "trauma" they suffered.

Since 2002, the US has transferred about 400 detainees from Guantanamo to more than two dozen countries, often only after drawn-out diplomatic efforts by the governments in the prisoners' homelands.

In most cases, the Americans seek promises from the governments that they will prevent the prisoners committing terrorist acts after being handed over.

Five British citizens were freed in March 2004 and four more were released in January 2005.

Bisher al-Rawi, a 37-year-old Iraqi national and British resident, was released from the camp in April after five years in detention.

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