After sectarian courses, the Houthis release prisoners in Hodeidah
English - Wednesday 14 June 2023 الساعة 08:51 am
Hodeidah, NewsYemen, exclusive:
The Houthi militia, Iran's arm in Yemen, has released dozens of prisoners pending criminal cases from the prisons of Al-Hodeidah Governorate, western Yemen.
The Houthi security media published confirmations of the release of about 67 prisoners in a number of militia-controlled districts in Hodeidah. And that the release of the prisoners came under the direction of the Houthi leader appointed to the position of Attorney General, Muhammad al-Dailami.
According to the published information, the defendants in criminal cases were released from the remand prisons in the districts of Zabid, Bayt al-Faqih, al-Mansuriya, and al-Durayhimi.
The prisoners' release came after they were subjected, during the last period, to a series of religious lectures promoting Houthi sectarian ideology inspired by the extremist Iranian approach.
The Houthi media confirmed that the release process came after field visits by the Houthi leader, Muhammad al-Dailami, appointed as the Attorney General, and Houthi leaders and expatriates from Hodeidah Governorate to the governorate's prisons.
The al-Dailami leader demanded members of the Public Prosecution Offices in the directorates and the governorate to hand over lists of names of prisoners held pending criminal cases or prisoners sentenced to overdue sentences that have passed for more than 5 months without implementation, indicating that the militias intend to bargain with the prisoners in order to release them.
Human rights sources indicated to "Newsyemen" that the releases take place on a regular basis after subjecting the prisoners to lectures asking them to engage in fighting with their ranks and go to the fronts and other beliefs that promote sectarian ideas aimed at destroying the social fabric and contributing to its disintegration.
The sources added: the prisoners are being deceived and pushed to join militia ranks in exchange for their release and their release, noting that there are released elements who were kidnapped from the streets, raids and checkpoints, and were imprisoned without any charges for several months, before their release was exchanged for paying sums of money from their families or joining their ranks.
He emphasized that those who refuse to bargain are continued to be arbitrarily detained without transferring their files to the competent authorities from the prosecution and the judiciary, in addition to the brutal torture they are subjected to from time to time.
The Houthi militia continues its "freedom in exchange for release" initiative to recruit more fighters from prisons under its control in Sana'a and the rest of the Yemeni governorates.
About 3 months ago, the Houthi militia released a previous batch that included 123 prisoners from Hodeidah prisons, with the aim of sending them to the battle fronts.
Some of those released were convicted of criminal and terrorist cases.
According to human rights sources in Hodeidah, most of those released since the beginning of this year agreed to join the ranks of the militias and participate in their military and intelligence operations.
