AFTER 13 years of unimaginable torment, torture and abuse, it was finally confirmed yesterday that the last Briton in Guantanamo Shaker Aamer is to be released.

Mr Aamer, who has been held without charge or trial and who has twice been cleared for release by the US authorities, continued to languish in the US gulag despite an international campaign to secure his freedom.

During this time he suffered lengthy periods in solitary confinement and almost daily beatings.

Hopes had initially been raised earlier this year following a cross-party parliamentary delegation to the US that Mr Aamer could be released in June, but as this deadline elapsed fears grew once more for his mental and physical well-being.

But the Foreign Office officially confirmed that he was to be returned to Britain to at long last be united with his wife and children, the youngest of whom he has never seen.

British resident Mr Aamer, 46, who is a Saudi national, was originally detained in Afghanistan in 2001.

He was sold to the US for a bounty and detained first in the infamous Bagram airbase detention facility before being transferred to Guantanamo.

His release is expected to take place once the 30-day notice period set by the US authorities has expired.

Mr Aamer’s lawyer and director of legal action charity Reprieve Clive Stafford Smith said: “This is great news, albeit about 13 years too late.

“But they only just gave notice to Congress, so that means that without robust intervention Shaker and his family have to wait until October 25 at the earliest for their reunion.

“The UK must demand President Obama that he should be on a plane tomorrow, so that Shaker’s family do not have to endure more of the agony of waiting, uncertain every time a phone rings.

“British politicians may bombasticate about our ‘robust and effective systems to deal with suspected terrorists,’ but Shaker is not and never has been a terrorist and has been cleared by the Americans themselves for eight years.

“I hope the authorities will understand that what he wants most is to be left alone with his family to start rebuilding his life.”

Jeremy Corbyn, who has long campaigned for Mr Aamer’s release, said he was “very pleased” to hear about Mr Aamer.

He said: “We must recognise the steadfastness of his family and the commitment of all those who joined this campaign, whether they lobbied their MPs or demonstrated on the streets outside Parliament against this clear injustice.

Save Shaker Aamer Campaign chair Joy Hurcombe, who has tirelessly campaigned for his release, told the Star: “Let’s hope the terrible ordeal for Shaker will finally come to an end. He has suffered so much gross injustice. We must now make sure that Shaker is able to have the time to recover from all his years of isolation and torture without too much media intrusion.”