The Periodic Review Board, which was created by the Obama administration as part of an effort to shut down the Guantánamo prison, announced his release Friday.
According to the board’s statement, "The Board acknowledges the detainee's past terrorist-related activities and connections. However, it continues, in light of the factors and conditions of the transfer…the risk the detainee presents can be adequately mitigated. The detainee does not appear to be in contact with any extremists and his family has no known ties to extremism."
Defense lawyers with the Center for Constitutional Rights released a statement saying, “Mr. Ba Odah has been imprisoned at Guantánamo for 13 years, and yet despite the fact that he was cleared for release by top U.S. security agencies more than five years ago, the U.S. has refused to repatriate him to Saudi Arabia where his family resides or resettle him in a third country.”