U.S. review board rejects Kenyan release bid from Guantánamo

A U.S. government review board has rejected a Kenyan prisoner’s bid to be released from the detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, after nine years in custody.

The Periodic Review Board said in a brief statement that continued detention of Abdul Malik is necessary because he poses what it calls a “significant threat” to the security of the United States. The statement was posted Friday on a Pentagon website.

Abdul Malik, born in 1973, is a suspected member of al-Qaida in East Africa and has been accused of involvement in two terrorist plots in Kenya. He has not been charged with a crime.

“The board also noted the detainee’s total lack of candor regarding his pre-detention activities, the lack of a plan for his future should he be transferred, and no information provided regarding the available family support should he be transferred,” the statement also said.

The Kenyan got to Guantánamo in 2007, and went before the board May 10. Kenyan authorities captured him and turned him over to the U.S. in March 2007.

There are still 80 prisoners at Guantánamo, including 30 who have been approved for releases that are expected to start in the coming weeks.

This story was originally published June 10, 2016 at 5:53 PM with the headline "U.S. review board rejects Kenyan release bid from Guantánamo."