KUALA LUMPUR, Feb. 25 -- The release of the two Malaysians held in Guantanamo Bay detention camp is long overdue, as they have been in custody for 21 years in connection with the devastating 2002 Bali bombings that took 202 lives.

However, the chances for an early return date now hinge on diplomatic communications between Malaysia and the United States (US).

The two Malaysians - Mohamad Farik Amin, 48, and Mohammed Nazir Bin Lep, 47 - were captured in Thailand in 2003 but never faced trial until 2024.

In late January 2024, under a plea bargain, both men reached agreements with prosecutors at Guantanamo Bay to charges of being accessories to the terrorist attacks in Bali, where after a short trial, US military judge Lt. Col. Wesley A. B...