The Obama administration says it will release Mohammed Jawad, who has been held at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp since 2002.

奥巴马政府称他们将会释放自2002年就被关押在关塔那摩湾战俘集中营的Mohammed Jawad。

Mr Jawad has been held in Guantanamo Bay since 2002

Earlier this month officials admitted that there was no military case for Mr Jawad's continued detention¹（挽留，拘留）.

But government lawyers had said they wished to keep him in detention pending²（直到） a possible criminal prosecution³.

The decision could set a precedent⁴（在前的） leading to the release of other Guantanamo inmates⁵.

Torture

Mr Jawad was arrested in Afghanistan in December 2002, after being accused of throwing a grenade（手榴弹） at a jeep and injuring two US soldiers and their interpreter.

His lawyers say he was 12 years old at the time of his arrest, although Pentagon officials say a bone scan indicates that he was actually 17.

Shortly after his arrest, he was transported to the US detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, where he is still being held.

His lawyers campaigned for his release, arguing that his confession⁶（自认，招供） had been obtained by Afghan officials using torture.

In October 2008, a military judge ruled the confession inadmissible（不可许可的，难承认的） and on 16 July, Judge Huvelle described the US government's case against Mr Jawad as "an outrage⁷" that was "riddled⁸（谜） with holes".

On Friday US authorities said they no longer considered him to be a military prisoner.

But they also said that they intended to construct a criminal case against Mr Jawad, and that he should remain in detention while they did so.

The administration's U-turn means that Mr Jawad will now be sent back home to Afghanistan.

Officials say it will take three weeks for him to be transferred, although his lawyers are demanding his immediate⁹ transfer.

Obama pledge

"After seven years of injustice¹⁰ this was a victory for the rule of law," said Major Eric Montalvo, a lawyer for Mr Jawad.

"Finally we've turned the corner on Guantanamo," he told the BBC's Jonathan Beale in Washington.

Observers say the decision could mean that other Guantanamo detainees（被拘留者，未判刑囚犯） will also be released.

Shortly after entering the White House, US President Barack Obama pledged to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay.

Since making the pledge, administration officials have been reviewing the case files of Guantanamo detainees in an attempt to determine which prisoners should face criminal trials, which should face military commissions, which should be released and which can neither be tried nor released.

Mr Obama said he wanted the camp closed by January 2010.