Former Guantanamo detainee Azerbaijani Polad Sirajov continues living in Slovakia.
APA reports quoting The Slovak Spectator that along with Sirajov, Guantanamo prisoners Adil al-Gazzar from Egypt and Rafik Hami from Tunisia were resettled in Slovakia at the end of January 2010.
US President Barack Obama signed an order on closing Guantanamo detention in 2009. The majority of prisoners, including Polad Sirajov were freed. But he didn’t want to return to the homeland. He was sent to the third country through intermediary of the international organizations and now he is living in Slovakia. The former prisoners began to study the Slovakian language to receive residence permit in this country. The government has pledged to help them with work and housing.
The Slovak Spectator also reported that the last three of the 22 Uighur Chinese nationals will be transferred from the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center after being held by the United States since 2002 will try to build a new life in Slovakia. “Just as in the case of the first transport, also now, these are persons who have never been suspected or charged with the crime of terrorism,” Interior Ministry spokesman Ivan Netík told The Slovak Spectator.
Polad Sirajov graduated from the School of Economics at Erciyez University, Turkey and worked for the Turkish company operated in Russia. He left home in 2001 and never returned. His family was informed in January, 2002 that he was arrested together with Taliban members and sent to Guantanamo prison.