Estonia to resettle 1 Guantanamo Bay detainee

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The Estonian government has agreed to a U.S. request to resettle a Guantanamo Bay detainee as long as that person has not been convicted of a crime.

The government’s press office said Thursday that Estonia reserves the right to choose the prisoner, who is among nearly 80 cleared for release from the prison on the U.S. base in Cuba but who cannot return to their homeland.

American officials did not identify the prisoner or say when the transfer would occur.

The U.S. Embassy in Tallinn said it welcomed Estonia’s decision, which “brings us one step closer to” President Barack Obama’s goal of closing the detention facility where the U.S. is holding 149 prisoners. It said 19 other countries have resettled Guantanamo detainees since 2009.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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