Pete Hegseth, the head of the Pentagon, stated that the detainees remaining at Guantanamo should have been executed.

Pete Hegseth, the head of the Pentagon in the USA, stated on Wednesday that the 15 detainees remaining at Guantanamo should have been executed for crimes against American citizens, especially in the context of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Speaking with reporters in Tampa, Florida, Hegseth emphasized that, in his opinion, justice has not been served.

According to Pentagon data from 2025, only two of the 15 detainees have been convicted, and proceedings for other charges are ongoing. The detention facilities at Guantanamo, established after the 2001 terrorist attacks, have been widely criticized for the prolonged detention of suspects without trial and allegations of torture.

Efforts to close the prison have faced difficulties, including a lack of countries willing to accept the detainees. Guantanamo, located in southeastern Cuba and under U.S. control since 1903, is considered by Cuba to have an invalid contract from 1959.