In 'Historic Stand' Against Injustice, Uruguay Welcomes Six Gitmo Detainees

Six men held at Guantanamo Bay were released to Uruguay Sunday after a dozen years languishing at the offshore prison without charge.

The release of the four Syrians, one Tunisian and one Palestinian to the Latin American nation follows months of delay.

Uruguay’s leftist President Jose Mujica, himself a former prisoner, has previously called the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay a “disgrace.”

The Washington Post reports that on Friday, Mujica’s office sent an open letter to President Obama to repeat his county’s willingness to accept the men, stating: “We have offered our hospitality for human beings who suffered an atrocious kidnapping in Guantanamo.”

Mujica said earlier this year that the men would be treated as refugees and would be able to travel freely.

One of the Syrians being released is Abu Wa’el Dhiab, who had waged a legal battle against the administration over his force feedings at the prison.

Cori Crider, a Director at human right group Reprieve and a lawyer for Dhiab, said: “We are grateful to the government of Uruguay—and President Mujica in particular—for this historic stand.”