Oldest Guantanamo Bay prisoner, 75, RELEASED

Saifullah Paracha who spent nearly two decades in the Guantanamo Bay detention centre was released on Saturday, 29 October.

Paracha was reunited with his family in Pakistan

The 75-year-old who hails from Pakistan was finally reunited with his family.

Paracha was held on suspicion of ties to al-Qaida. He was detained in 2003 but was never charged with a crime.

In May 2021, Paracha was notified that he had been approved for release from Guantanamo Bay. He was cleared with two other men in November 2020 by the prisoner review board.

While the notification did not provide detailed reasoning, it concluded that Paracha was not a ‘continuing threat’ to the United States.

He was a wealthy businessman who owned property in New York

Paracha lived in the United States and owned property in New York City. He was a wealthy businessman in Pakistan, reports the New York Post.

Authorities alleged that he was an al-Qaida ‘’facilitator’. They believed he assisted two of the conspirators of the 9/11 attacks with a financial transaction.

Paracha maintained that he did not know the two people were part of al-Qaida. He denied any involvement in terrorism.

Paracha was captured by the US in Thailand in 2003. They held him at Guantanamo Bay since September 2004.

DNA evidence clears man who spent 38 years in jail

Previously, it was reported that DNA evidence has allowed an innocent man who spent 38 years behind bars to taste freedom once more.

Maurice Hastings was convicted of the 1983 murder of Roberta Wydermyer and two attempted murders. Throughout his three decades in prison, Hastings maintained that he was innocent.

After a DNA test was finally allowed, a different man who died in prison two years ago was implicated. Hastings, now 69, says he wants to enjoy his life and move forward. Read the full story here.