PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian government is intensifying its efforts to secure the release and repatriation of two Malaysian citizens detained over terrorism-related charges in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The Home Minister said he had met the US special representative for Guantanamo affairs Tina Kaidanow during his official visit to New York.
He said it was the second time he had met Kaidanow to discuss the matter after visiting the two Malaysians, Nazir Lep and Mohamad Farik Amin, in Guantanamo Bay.
During his visit to the detention facility, Saifuddin said he met with the duo and expressed deep empathy for their situation.
"We will work on expediting their return to Malaysia," Saifuddin wrote in a post on X, adding that the government was committed to ensure their safe return.
Nazir and Mohamad Farik were among seven individuals arrested over alleged involvement in the twin bombings that claimed the lives of 202 people in Bali in October 2002 and the bombing at the JW Marriott hotel in Jakarta in August 2003.
They were apprehended in Thailand the same year and transferred to Central Intelligence Agency-operated black sites before being relocated to Guantanamo Bay in 2006.
The long-awaited trial of the two Malaysians and another Indonesian co-accused in the 2002 bombings faced repeated delays due to the unavailability of qualified Malay translators.
Lead prosecutor George Kraehe recently proposed a trial date of March 2025 for the detainees.
Earlier this year, Nazir's defence lawyer Brian Bouffard expressed frustration over the prolonged delay in the trial, attributing it to the US government's opposition to the proposed trial date.
Sewaktu di New York, saya turut bertemu TYT Tina Kaidanow, Special Representative for Guantanamo Affairs bagi membincangkan perihal usaha membawa pulang warga Malaysia yg ditahan di Penjara Guantanamo Bay. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/BRuLyPghQY — Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (@saifnasution) September 25, 2023
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