A British resident detained at Guantanamo Bay for more than four years has said he is "extraordinarily happy to be home" in the UK. The U.S. had accused Mohamed of involvement in a plot to detonate a "dirty bomb" in America, but the charges were dropped in October last year.
Although 30-year-old Mohamed had been questioned previously by the British government while in captivity, he was still detained upon arrival for over five hours by the British authorities before being released.
Mohamed was tortured by the U.S. while in custody on suspicion of terrorism. He said his worst moment was when he realized his own government was cooperating with his torturers.
Clive Stafford Smith, director of legal charity Reprieve which represented Mohamed, said his client was now looking forward to recovering in peace and to spending time with his sister, who he had not seen for seven years. He added: "He's not angry, he's sad, he's lost seven years of his life... I think he's just very grateful to Britain for having him back.
Smith also said Britain was in part culpable for abuse suffered by Mohamed-- "Britain knew he was being abused and left him there and he ended up going to Morocco for two years of the most horrific nightmare imaginable, " he said. "The least we owe to him is to give him his home back because he lost his home due to that process."
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