Yemen Gov’t Suspends Prisoner Exchange Talks With Houthi Rebels Over Detained Politician

The Yemeni government announced on Tuesday its refusal to participate in further UN-mediated prisoner exchange negotiations with Houthi rebels, according to Hadi Haig, head of the government delegation in the prisoner talks. The decision came as a response to the Houthis’ refusal to disclose the whereabouts of Mohammed Qahtan, a detained politician from the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Islah party, and to allow his family and government officials to visit him.

Qahtan, who was forcibly abducted by the Houthis eight years ago, has become the center of a crisis as the rebels have remained unresponsive to numerous appeals from the UN, local and international human rights groups, and Qahtan’s own family. Concerns have escalated over Qahtan’s condition in custody, raising fears of his possible death.

This move by the Yemeni government follows a successful prisoner swap in April, brokered by the UN, which resulted in the release of nearly 900 prisoners. This exchange, the second-largest since the Yemen civil war began over eight years ago, included notable figures and was seen as a critical step toward establishing trust between the government and the Houthi rebels.