Timeline of the release and transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees


In late 2008, the Department of Defense published a list of the Guantanamo captives who died in custody, were freed, or were repatriated to the custody of another country.
The list was drafted on October 8, 2008, and was published on November 26, 2008.
Subsequently almost two hundred more captives have been released or transferred, and several more have died in custody.

Consolidated list of October 2008

Changes since October 2008

Countries that have accepted non-citizen detainees

These are countries that have accepted the transfer of former Guantanamo detainees who are not their own citizens.
NationFirst transferNotes
Albania2006-05-05
  • Albania accepted five Uyghur captives in Guantanamo. All five men had been determined to "no longer be enemy combatants".
  • Albania accepted three more former captives, who also had been determined to "no longer be enemy combatants".
  • On February 24, 2010, Albania accepted three former captives, a Tunisian, an Egyptian, and a Libyan.
Algeria2006-11-17Algeria has accepted many ex-Guantanamo prisoners
Belize2023-02-02
  • Majid Khan, a Pakistani citizen and Resident status in the US, was released to Belize
    • Bermuda2009-06-11
  • Four Uyghur captives in Guantanamo were transferred to Bermuda in June 2009. The move was called controversial first because the United Kingdom still has jurisdiction over Bermuda's foreign affairs, and UK legal scholars argued the government of Bermuda did not have the authority to accept the men. Secondly the Prime Minister of Bermuda said the men would be offered citizenship—a right denied to other long term residents not born in Bermuda.
    • Bulgaria2010-05-03
  • On May 4, 2010, Bulgaria accepted Maasoum Abdah Mouhammad, a Syrian. Initially his identity was withheld. Local journalists were able to determine his name.
    • Cape Verde2010-07-19
  • Cape Verde accepted Syrian Abd al Nisr Mohammed Khantumani on July 19, 2010.
  • Cape Verde accepted Yemeni Shawki Awad Balzuhair on December 4, 2016.
    • El Salvador2012-04-19
  • Gave refuge to Abdul Razakah and Hammad Memet, two former Uyghur captives on April 18, 2012.
    • Estonia2015-01-14
  • A Yemeni, Ahmed Abdul Qader, was transferred to Estonia on January 14, 2015, when four other Yemenis were transferred to Oman.
    • France2009-05-15
  • France has accepted two former captives originally from Algeria, who had become Bosnian citizens. US District Court Judge Ricardo Urbina had ruled the men should be released, in November 2008, because there was no credible evidence to support the allegations that had initially lead to their detention.
    • Georgia2010-03-23
  • On January 24, 2010, Tunisian captive Abdul Haddi Bin Hadiddi was transferred to Georgia.
    • Germany2006-08-24
  • Murat Kurnaz was born in Germany, to Turkish guest workers in Germany, and was applying for German citizenship, when he was captured during a brief visit to Pakistan. He was transferred to Germany on August 24, 2006.
  • Saudi captive Ohmed Ahmed Mahamoud Al Shurfa and Syrian captive Mahmoud Salim al-Ali were transferred to Germany on September 16, 2010.
    • Ghana2016-01-06
  • Two Yemenis, Mahmoud Omar Mohammed Bin Atef and Khalid Mohammed Salih Al Dhuby were released to Ghana on January 7, 2016.
    • Hungary2009-11-30
  • Hungary has accepted one former Palestinian captive in Guantanamo, Mahrar Rafat al Quwari.
    • Ireland2009-09-27
  • Ireland accepted two former Uzbekistani captives in Guantanamo. The Irish government had requested the press respect the privacy of them men, and not publish their names, but their names were published anyhow.
    • Italy2009-11-30
  • Italy has accepted the transfer of three Tunisian captives in Guantanamo. According to press reports, the three Tunisians were former residents of Italy. According to press reports, unlike the other countries which have accepted former Guantanamo captives who weren't citizens, Italy plans to prosecute at least two of the men.
  • On July 9, 2016, Yemini captive Fayiz Ahmad Yahia Suleiman was transferred to Italy.
    • Kazakhstan2014-12-30
  • Kazakhstan provided a home to Three Yemenis and two Tunisias, on December 30, 2014. According to Andy Worthington, quoting the New York Times, a senior Obama administration official stated that the five "are 'free men' for all intents and purposes after the transfer." The five men were Abdullah bin Ali al-Lufti, Adel al-Hakeemy, Sabri Mohammad Ibrahim al-Qurashi, Asim Thahit Abdullah al Khalaqi, Muhammad Ali Husayn Khanayna.
    • Latvia2010-07-22
  • On February 2, 2010, Latvian Foreign Ministry officials announced that Latvia would be accepting a Guantanamo captive within the next six months. Latvian authorities did not reveal his identity, or which nation he was from, but they did reveal he was from another nation that had been part of the Soviet Union.
    • Montenegro2016-01-20
  • On January 20, 2016, Yemeni Abdul Aziz Abdullah Ali Al Suadi was granted asylum in Montenegro.
  • On June 22, 2016, Yemeni Abdel Malik Ahmed Abdel Wahab Al Rahabi was granted asylum in Montenegro.
    • Oman2014-01-14
  • Four Yemenis, Al Khadr Abdallah Muhammed Al Yafi, Abd al Rahman Abdullah Ali Muhammad, Fadil Husayn Salih Hintif, Mohammed Ahmed Salam were transferred to Oman on January 14, 2015. A fifth Yemeni was transferred to Estonia.
  • Six Yemenis, Idris Ahmed Abdu Qader Idris, Sharaf Ahmad Muhammad Masud, Jalal Salam Awad Awad, Saad Masir Mukbl al Azani, Emad Abdalla Hassan, and Mohammed Ali Salem al Zarnuki were transferred to Oman on June 13, 2015.
  • Ten Yemenis, Fahed Abdullah Ahmad Ghazi, Samir Naji Al Hasan Moqbel, Waqas Mohammed Ali Awad, Muktar Yahya Najee al Warafi, Abu Bakr Ibn Ali Muhhammad Alahdal, Abdul Al Razzaq Muhammad Salih, Muhhammad Said Bin Salem, Said Muhammed Salih Hatim, Omer Saeed Salem al Daini, and Fahmi Abdullah Ahmed were transferred to Oman on January 13, 2016.
  • Ten captives were transferred "temporary residence" on January 16, 2017. Their names and nationalities were initially withheld. There were two Afghans, Abdul Zahir and Bostan Karim and eight Yemenis Mohammed al Ansi, Muhammed Ahmad Said Haydar, Salman Yahya Hassan Mohammed Rabei'i, Musab Omar Ali al Madhwani, Ghaleb al Bihani, Mustafa al Shamiri, Walid Said Bin Said Zaid and Hayl al Mithali.
  • 11 Yemenis were transferred on Jan 6, 2025.
    • Pakistan2022-10-09
  • Pakistan accepted Sufaillah Paracha and the Rabbani brothers, all Pakistanis.
    • Palau2009-10-31
  • Six Uyghur captives in Guantanamo were transferred to Palau in October 2009. The move was called controversial because Palau is a former protectorate of the US, which still received much of its annual budget in the form of grants from the US.
    • Portugal2009-08-28
  • Portugal accepted two Syrian captives.
    • Qatar2008-07-26
  • Five men described as "Taliban leaders" were transferred to Qatar in return for the release of US GI Bowe Bergdahl.
    • Saudi Arabia2007-07-15
  • On April 16, 2016, nine Yemeni individuals were transferred to Saudi Arabia -- Ahmed Umar Abdullah al Hikimi, Abdul Rahman Mohamed Saleh Naser, Ali Yahya Mahdi al Raimi, Mohammad al Rahman al Shumrani, Mohammed Abdullah al Hamiri, Ahmed Yaslam Said Kuman, Mashur Abdallah Muqbil Ahmed al Sabri, Abdul Rahman Umir al Qyati, Mansoor Muhammed Ali Qattaa.
  • On January 5, 2017, four Yemeni individuals were transferred to Saudi Arabia -- Mohammed Rajab Sadiq Abu Ghanim, Salem Ahmed Hadi, Abdullah Yahia Yousf al Shabli and Mohammed Ali Abdullah Bwazir.
    • Senegal2016-04-04
  • Salem Abdul Salem Ghereby and Omar Khalifa Mohammed Abu Bakr were transferred to Senegal on April 4, 2016.
    • Serbia2016-07-11
  • On July 11, 2016, Tajikistan Omar Abdulayev and Yemeni Mansur Ahmad Saad al-Dayfi were transferred to Serbia.
    • Slovakia2010-01-24
  • Slovakia accepted three former captives on January 26, 2010. Their names were withheld. Tunisian Rafiq Bin Bashir Bin Jalud Al Hami was later confirmed to be one of those individuals.
  • Slovakia took in three more Uyghur detainees on December 31, 2013
    • Spain2005-07-18
  • On February 24, 2010, Spain accepted the transfer of an individual who had formerly been a Palestinian captive in Guantananmo. Spain has agreed to take four additional captives. The Palestinian was later determined to be Assem Matruq Mohammad al Aasmi.
  • On May 4, 2010, Spain accepted Yasin Basardh, a Yemeni. Initially his identity was withheld. Local journalists were able to determine his name.
    • Switzerland2010-01-26
  • Switzerland accepted one former Uzbekistani captive on January 26, 2010. His name was withheld. Andy Worthington, the author of The Guantanamo Files reported that he was Ali Sher Hamidullah.
  • On February 3, 2010, Switzerland agreed to accept to Uyghur captives, brothers Arkin Mahmud and Bahtiyar Mahnut.
    • United Arab Emirates2015-11-13
  • Five Yemenis, Ali al Razihi, Khalid al Qadasi, Adil al Busayss, Suleiman al Nahdi, and Fahmi al Asani, were released to the UAE on November 16, 2015.
  • On August 15, 2016, three Afghans, Obaidullah, Mohammed Kamin and Hamidullah, and twelve Yemenis, Mahmoud Abd al Aziz Abd al Mujahid, Mohammed Ahmad Said al Edah, Abdel Qadir Hussein al Mudhaffari, Majid Mahmud Abdu Ahmad, Abdul al Saleh, Abdul Rahman Abdul Abu Ghityh Sulayman, Saeed Ahmed Mohammed Abdullah Sarem Jarabh, Mohammed Nasir Yahya Khusruf, Zahar Omar Hamis Bin Hamdoun, Jamil Ahmed Said Nassir, Ayoub Murshid Ali Saleh, Bashir Nashir Al-Marwalah, were transferred.
  • On January 18, 2017 Russian Ravil Mingazov, Afghan Wali Muhammed, and Yemeni Yassim Qasim Mohammed Ismail Qasim were transferred to the UAE.
    • United Kingdom2007-03-30
  • Nine Guantanamo captives had been long term legal residents of the United Kingdom. Initially the United Kingdom had only been prepared to request the return of another nine captives who were citizens of the United Kingdom. But when the public learned that Bisher al Rawi and Jamil el Banna, had been kidnapped in Gambia by the CIA only for their intelligence value—because they knew someone suspected of supporting terrorism, without supporting terrorism themselves, the UK requested the return of all the long term residents of the UK as well. Bisher al Rawi was repatriated first, followed by Jamil el Banna and five other men. Binyam Mohammed was repatriated a few days before a UK court was expected to force the UK government to publish classified memos to aid in him in his fight for return. Shaker Aamer became the final British resident to leave the detention camp in October 2015.
    • Uruguay2014-12-07
  • Gave refuge to Ahmed Adnan Ahjam, Ali Hussein al-Shaaban, Abdelhadi Faraj, Abdul Bin Mohammed Abis Ourgy, Mohammed Taha Mattan and Abu Wa'el Dhiab.