Yemen renews its claim to US to extradite Yemeni detainees in Guantanamo

Yemeni government has renewed its demand for the US authorities to handed over 90 Yemenis still detained in Guantanamo and Bagram, to bring them back to their homeland. This came in a letter addressed by Foreign Minister Dr. Abu Bakr al-Qirbi to his US counterpart John Kerry, in which he congratulated Kerry on his appointment as Secretary of state in the United States, praising the advanced level of the bilateral relations between two friendly countries. Al-Qirbi confirmed in the letter Yemen's keenness to take all diplomatic and security measures and rehabilitation of returnees to return them to the right path and integrate them into their communities as good citizens. He added that the closing of Guantanamo file will restore confidence in the values of freedom and justice. In this regard, a diplomatic source in the Yemeni Embassy in Washington told Saba that the embassy has intensified its contact and meetings with the U.S. officials in the Departments of State, Justice and Defense, as well as with the lawyers of Yemeni detainees and human rights organizations, to discuss ways to return Yemeni detainees to their homeland. The source added that arrangements are being done to organize a visit by an official Yemeni delegation headed by Minister of Human Rights and committee in charge of the detainees issue to the US and the Guantanamo base. This move and efforts comes under the directives of President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi to the government to double efforts to follow up this issue, the source explained. He pointed out that the issue of Yemeni detainees at Guantanamo currently occupies list of priorities for the Yemeni Embassy in Washington.