A British resident held at Guantanamo Bay will be released after five years in captivity, the British Foreign Office announced today.
Bisher al-Rawi, an Iraqi national who reportedly lived in Britian with his family for 16 years, has been held at the US internment base since 2002.
He was captured along with his friend Jamil el-Banna during a business trip to The Gambia.
A recent EU report claims Mr Rawi and Mr Banna were transported on aircraft that allegedly stopped over in Ireland 'on other occasions'.
The pair were handed over to US authorities and Mr Rawi's lawyer claims they were flown to Afghanistan before being transferred to Guantanamo in Cuba.
Mr Rawi was held without charge or trial, a practice denounced by human rights organisations.
'This decision follows extensive discussions to address the security implications of Mr Rawi's return', British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett told the Commons in a written statement.
The news was welcomed by Mr Rawi's MP in Kingston & Surbiton, Liberal Democrat Ed Davey.
'Everything I've learnt from his family, his lawyers, UK Government officials, journalists and even the US authorities, tells me Bisher al-Rawi is not and has never been a threat to national or international security,' said Mr Davey.
He added: 'His case should be a lesson to us all that when you ignore natural justice injustice follows.'
Tory MP Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the all party parliamentary group (APPG) on extraordinary rendition, called the announcement 'wonderful news'.
'It is clear from the confidential telegrams which were released to the APPG last year that the UK has some serious questions to answer regarding the role which it played in the apprehension and rendition of Bisher al-Rawi, and Jamil el-Banna,' added Mr Tyrie.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern has rejected the accusation that any CIA rendition flights landed at Irish airports.
Earlier this year, a report by the European Parliament called for a Dáil inquiry into the alleged flights and criticised Minister Ahern for failing to answer questions on whether Irish airports facilitated CIA flights travelling to or from extraordinary rendition missions.
