Montenegro receives another person within humanitarian programme of re-socialisation of prisoners from Guantanamo

Podgorica, Montenegro (22 June 2016) -- As part of a humanitarian programme launched by the Government of the United States with the aim of closing the base in Guantanamo, Cuba, Montenegro took on the responsibility of re-socialisation of another prisoner and his return to his family.

It is, as in the first case of January 2016, a citizen of Yemen who stayed for many years in Guantanamo, and who, as well as the first person transferred to Montenegro under this programme, does not constitute, according to the assessment of the competent US and Montenegrin security services, a security or any other threat to the country and citizens of Montenegro. Prior to the persons’ transfer to third countries, their behaviour and criminal liability are subjects of security assessment and detailed evaluation, according to which the decision on the transfer is made.

Re-socialisation of these persons implies control by the relevant institutions of the receiving countries, while ensuring full respect for legality and the policy of humane treatment.

The person in question, in line with the commitments and legal procedures, has applied for asylum. The Law on Asylum (Official Gazette of Montenegro No. 45 of 17 July 2006; Official Gazette of Montenegro No. 40 of 8 August 2011) stipulates that it is not possible to publish any additional information on that matter ("Process of applying for asylum excludes the public," Article 34, Paragraph 1 of the Law).

What is at present possible to publish about the first person who was, as part of the programme, transferred to Montenegro in January 2016, is that the person is in a regular procedure envisaged by the Law on Asylum, and under the regime of subsidiary protection.

Montenegro takes part in the humanitarian programme pursuant to the Government's decision and met the quota that was predicted.

Bearing in mind the fact that re-socialisation implies integration into social environment, this person’s stay does not fall on the Montenegrin taxpayers. The persons in question will eventually be free to choose the country they want to live in.

Montenegro has joined this initiative driven by the principles of solidarity and humanity, to which it is bound by membership in the UN Human Rights Council, and especially the humanitarian character of this programme.

The humanitarian programme involves more than fifty countries worldwide, including both Western and Eastern European and neighbouring countries, such as United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, Russia, Latvia, Estonia, Hungary, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Albania.