Pentagon Says Committed to Closing Guantanamo Prison But Cannot Confirm Reports of Transfers

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Pentagon remains committed to the Biden administration’s plan to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay but cannot confirm reports of transfer approvals for current detainees, spokesman John Kirby said on Monday.

"I can’t confirm those reports. I have no transfers out of Guantanamo to speak to today," Kirby said during a press briefing in response to a question about the reported transfer.

"We continue to be committed to closing down that facility, and of course that means whittling down the population, which is very small right now. I think just over three dozen detainees remain from the nearly 800 that were there at its peak, so a small number. Not surprisingly, they are the hardest cases to deal with and adjudicate."

The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) on Monday said in a statement that Guantanamo Bay detainee Gouled Hassan Dourad won approval for transfer out of the facility. The CCR organizes hundreds of attorneys to ensure that any of Guantanamo Bay detainees who want legal representation could have it, according to the statement.

There are 13 detainees at Guantanamo Bay eligible for transfer, 14 are eligible for a review board, 10 have charges pending, and two detainees have been convicted in military commissions, Kirby said.