The announcement of a prisoner exchange agreement between the government and the Houthis in Geneva

English - Monday 20 March 2023 الساعة 03:30 pm
Geneva, NewsYemen, Exclusive:

 The delegations of the Yemeni government and the Houthi militia - Iran's arm - signed today, Monday, a new agreement for the exchange of a group of prisoners and abductees under the auspices of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross.  The agreement includes the release of about 887 prisoners and abductees from both sides, including military leaders, women, and Saudi and Sudanese soldiers.

 According to the sources told "Newsyemen": that the negotiations over the file of prisoners and abductees, sponsored by the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, between the delegations of the Yemeni government and the Houthis, concluded today in Bern, Switzerland, with an agreement to implement a wide exchange deal that includes 706 Houthi prisoners in exchange for 181 prisoners of the other side, including 15 Saudi and 3 Sudanese.

According to the sources, the implementation of the deal will be arranged within three weeks, followed by another round after the month of Ramadan to complete the implementation of the rest of the total agreement, which includes about 2,000 prisoners and abductees from both sides.

 According to the sources, among the abductees who will be released soon are a number of those covered by the Security Council's decision, including the former Minister of Defense, Major General Mahmoud Al-Subaihi, and Major General Nasser Mansour Hadi, brother of former President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, along with Muhammad Muhammad Abdullah Saleh, brother of the leader of the national resistance, Brigadier General Tariq Muhammad Abdullah Saleh, and the son of the latter (Affash).

The sources indicated that the UN envoy to Yemen, Mr. Hans Grundberg, will hold a press conference in the coming hours, in which he will reveal the details of the agreement and the meetings held between the two parties since March 11 in Geneva.

 For his part, the Yemeni Undersecretary of the Ministry of Human Rights - member of the government committee for the exchange of prisoners, Majed Fadhil, confirmed the conclusion of the round of negotiations with the Houthi delegation, with a deal that includes more than 880 prisoners and abductees.  

Adding that the deal is part of the first stage, followed by stages, leading to the total release on the basis of all for all.

He stated that the deal included the four journalists sentenced to death, a number of military and civilian leaders, dozens of other courts, a number of prisoners of the Arab coalition, Major General Nasser Mansour, Major General Mahmoud al-Subaihi, the children of General Ali Mohsen, and the sons of the deputy head of the Presidential Leadership Council, Brigadier General Tariq Saleh.