WASHINGTON, July 26, 2010 (AFP) – A Guantanamo inmate who was sent back to Algeria against his will has been released by authorities in the north African country, the US rights group that represented him said Monday.

Abdul Aziz Naji, 35, was repatriated to his native Algeria on July 19 after his case against his transfer reached the US Supreme Court, for fear of reprisal from the government there, as well as Islamist organizations.

The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), a rights advocacy organization that has represented hundreds of detainees at the US prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, said it had "confirmed that shortly after publication of the lead editorial in (Sunday's) New York Times... Naji was released from secret detention in Algeria."

Naji "reported to his US attorneys this morning that he was treated well while in detention," said the CCR in a statement, urging Algeria to now "ensure Mr Naji's safety and well-being, including by protecting him from extremists who might seek to cause him harm."

A chorus of protests greeted Naji's repatriation following eight years at Guantanamo, where he had continually spoken out against his return.

"A prisoner who begs to stay indefinitely at the Guantanamo Bay detention center rather than be sent back to Algeria probably has a strong reason to fear the welcoming reception at home," the Times said Sunday, slamming the administration of US President Barack Obama for what it called "an act of cruelty that seems to defy explanation."

The Guantanamo camp was set up at a US Navy base on the southeastern tip of Cuba to hold terror suspects after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

Naji's repatriation came after a "comprehensive review" of his cases, and his transfer was approved "by unanimous consent among all the agencies involved in the task force," the Pentagon said upon his release earlier this month, referring to a group tasked by the Obama White House to work towards closing the facility.

Since 2002 more than 600 detainees have been released from Guantanamo to countries around the world. According to the latest figures provided by the Pentagon, 176 detainees remain there.