Release
On February 12, 2006 Deutsche Welle reported that Kurnaz's lawyers were hopeful that German authorities were on the brink of negotiating Kurnaz's repatriation. It speculated that the Americans would agree to the release on the condition Kurnaz be subjected to constant surveillance.
The German magazine Focus reported that the Bush administration was trying to tie the release of Kurnaz to an agreement from Germany to accept four other Guantanamo detainees. The USA cleared approximately 120 detainees for release - or transfer. However, many of them could not be returned to their countries of origin because they were likely to face retaliation from their governments.
The German and American governments denied that Kurnaz's release has been tied to Germany accepting other detainees. Focus says that the German government has agreed to accept one other detainee, not four, and that the Americans have not informed the German government of the identity of the other men it wants them to accept.
Kurnaz was released on August 24, 2006, and - like other released Guantanamo captives - was flown home in shackles, wearing a muzzle, opaque goggles and sound-blocking ear-muffs. He was reported to have been denied food and water during the seventeen hour flight.
Read more about this topic: Murat Kurnaz
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