Guantanamo’s longest-serving prisoner has been freed after nearly two decades in detention without charge.
Saifullah Paracha, 75, was transferred to the detention center in 2004 after his capture in an FBI operation in Thailand. Paracha, who was 56 at the time, was accused of meeting with Osama bin Laden and helping the 9/11 orchestrators “facilitate financial transactions and propaganda.”
The Pakistani national, who was never charged with a crime but was deemed too dangerous to be released, has since been repatriated, the Pakistani government said in a statement.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs completed an extensive inter-institutional process to facilitate the repatriation of Paracha. We are glad that a Pakistani citizen detained abroad is finally reunited with his family,” the statement read.
At the time of his capture, Paracha was a legal resident of the United States. He lived in the New York borough of Queens and ran several businesses, including real estate, travel agencies and a media company, the New York Times reported.
Paracha, who obtained permanent residency from him in 1980, denies any involvement in the 9/11 attacks and his affiliation with Al Qaeda.
During the undercover operation, Paracha was duped by officials posing as Kmart representatives, who told him they needed to meet with him in Bangkok, Thailand to discuss a deal. In July 2003, he was captured by FBI agents at the airport.
(Taken from Independent in Spanish)