Pentagon Sends Guantanamo Detainee to Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States has moved a detainee from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility to Saudi Arabia, the US Department of Defense said in a press release on Wednesday, marking the first time such a transfer has been carried out under President Donald Trump.

"The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed Haza al Darbi from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," the release said.

Darbi has been sentenced to 13 years in prison on terrorism-related charges. In February 2014, he plead guilty before a military commission and gave up his right to appeal, the release said.

The transfer has been made in coordination with the Saudi government to verify all procedure standards and humane treatment are being followed carefully, according to the release.

Trump said shortly before his inauguration in January 2017 there should be no further releases of detainees from the Guantanamo Bay facility. The US president characterized the remaining detainees there as being extremely dangerous and prevented from returning to the battlefield.

Of the 714 detainees released from the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, 532 were freed by President George W. Bush and the remainder by President Barack Obama, who tried but ultimately failed to close the detention facility.