The Saudi Red Crescent has enabled more than 50 people from eight families to communicate with their children in Guantánamo Bay prison through Skype.

Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, spokesman for the Red Crescent in Makkah, said the families each spoke with their sons for one hour.

Al-Ghamdi said calls over Skype were made in the presence of Rabab Suleiman, representative of the International Red Cross, and Fahad Al-Mutairi, Saeed Al-Yahya and Zulfa Abdullah, representatives of the Saudi Red Crescent. The calls were monitored by Prince Bandar bin Faisal, deputy director general for International Affairs and supervisor of the program for reinstating family ties at the Saudi Red Crescent.

Families of the detainees expressed their appreciation to the government of Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for its efforts in helping them establish communication.

The Red Crescent’s headquarters in Makkah, in cooperation with the International Red Cross, enabled families to call their sons in Guantánamo upon the directions of Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz, president of the Saudi Red Crescent.