Japan refused to issue a visa to an internationally acclaimed Mauritanian author who was formerly detained for 14 years without charge by the United States at its Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, sources close to the matter said Sunday.
The Japanese government denied Mohamedou Slahi the visa in January. It was the second time Slahi, who was cleared for release by the United States in October 2016, has been denied entry to Japan after a separate application in 2020 was also rejected.
The 53-year-old author, who penned a memoir during his imprisonment that later became a worldwide bestseller and movie, had planned to visit Japan in March to give a lecture.