Sami A has been kept under close surveillance in Germany. PHOTO: FUNKE FOTO SERVICES

The German government has been giving the former Tunisian bodyguard of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden $1,430 per month in welfare payments as he cannot be deported to his native country, even though he has been denied asylum, Voice of America. The man, known only as Sami A, to protect his privacy, cannot be deported to his native Tunisia as he is at risk of torture and prosecution there. He is said to have worked for the al Qaeda leader in the year 2000 in Afghanistan.In 2006, his request for asylum was refused because of security concerns. The courts then revoked the order in April 2017 after reviewing the case and deciding that he would face torture if he were to be deported.The alleged former bodyguard has continued to live in Bochum, Germany, since 1997, with his German wife and three children.Security officials determined that Sami A was trained at al Qaeda’s terror camps in Afghanistan between 1999 and 2000, and later became one of bin Laden's security guards.Sami A is considered a security risk and must report to the police in Bochum every day, which he has done so since 2006.This article first appeared on the Voice of America