[News] Yemen’s Houthi rebels release 153 prisoners of war

[Anti-Imperialist News]

 Yemen’s Houthi rebels release 153 prisoners of war

*The identities of the prisoners were not disclosed.*
[image: Houthi fighters walk next to detained people]
Houthi fighters walk next to detained people on the day of their release in
Sanaa, Yemen [Khaled Abdullah/Reuters]
Published On 25 Jan 2025 -
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/25/yemens-houthi-rebels-release-153-prisoners-of-war
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The Houthis in Yemen have unilaterally released 153 prisoners of war to the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the non-governmental
organisation and the rebel group confirmed.

The “conflict-related detainees” were released in the capital, Sanaa on
Saturday, and had received regular visits by the ICRC as part of detention
work to ensure humane treatment of war-related prisoners, according to the
organisation.

The identities of the prisoners were not disclosed.

“This operation has brought much-needed relief and joy to families who have
been anxiously waiting for the return of their loved ones. We know that
many other families are also waiting for their chance to be reunited. We
hope that today’s release will lead to many more moments like this” said
Christine Cipolla, the ICRC’s head of delegation in Yemen.

Abdul Qader al-Murtada, the head of the Houthis’ Committee for Prisoners’
Affairs, said in a statement carried by Houthi-affiliated media that those
released were “humanitarian cases” that included the sick, wounded and the
elderly.

“The goal of the initiative is to build trust and establish a new phase of
serious and honest dealing,” al-Murtada was cited as saying.

The ICRC welcomed the move as “another positive step towards reviving
negotiations” under a framework agreed during the country’s civil war,
which raged for years between the Houthis and a Saudi Arabia-led-coalition.

The war left more than 150,000 people killed and created one of the world’s
worst humanitarian disasters that is still continuing, with more than 18
million people across Yemen requiring assistance.

The releases on Saturday come as the Houthis continue to hold personnel
working with the United Nations.

Seven UN staff members were arrested on Friday, according to the
organisation, which called for their immediate release.

The UN also suspended all travel into areas held by the Houthis after the
arrests until further notice.

Another 11 UN staff were arrested last June, followed by the seizure of the
Human Rights Office in the Yemeni capital in August.

The Red Cross has previously helped with prisoner releases, including one
that saw some 1,000 prisoners swapped in 2020. Another exchange saw some
800 detainees released in 2023, with more than 100 freed last May.
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