Houthis Release 113 Detainees in Yemen’s Sanaa

Yemen’s Houthi group on Sunday unilaterally released 113 detainees in Sanaa, the Houthi-held capital, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). “We are pleased to see that humanitarian considerations are being prioritized, particularly for the families eagerly awaiting the return of their loved ones, especially with the approach of the Eid al-Adha celebrations in a few weeks,” said Daphnee Maret, the ICRC’s head of delegation in Yemen. “We hope this paves the way for further releases,” Maret added.

The ICRC conducted private pre-departure interviews with the detainees to confirm their identities, address any concerns about the release process, ensure contact with their families, and gather information for follow-up if needed, said Alessia Bertelli, the ICRC’s protection coordinator in Yemen.

The ICRC noted that this release, along with previous releases in 2023 and 2020, is a positive step toward reviving negotiations between the Yemeni government and the Houthis. In April 2023, nearly 900 prisoners were released following UN-sponsored negotiations, including high-profile figures such as Nasser Mansour Hadi, brother of former Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, and Mahmoud Al Subeihi, the former defense minister.

The UN has been working to release all detainees, mostly political opponents, human rights activists, and journalists, to achieve a political settlement between Yemen’s warring parties. Yemen has been in civil war since late 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed internationally recognized government out of Sanaa.