Prisoner exchange deals in Yemen spark hope for peace

By Mohammed Sameai, Halime Afra Aksoy, and Hacer Baser

ADEN, Yemen (AA) - Nearly 2,500 people have been released so far as part of prisoner exchange deals in war-torn Yemen, which has been suffering from a years-long conflict between the Saudi-backed government and the rebel Houthi group.

During the civil war in Yemen, the warring parties mutually detained thousands of people, including civilians. The prisoner exchange file, which examines the release process of prisoners, is one of the prominent items of the Yemen negotiations under the auspices of the UN.

Although there are no detailed official statements regarding the number of prisoners held by the parties, there were nearly 16,000 names of people on the prisoner exchange list offered by the Yemeni government and the Houthis during the meetings held in Sweden in 2018.

Many prisoner exchange operations have been carried out in Yemen so far.

- Largest prisoner-swap in country

Under the mediation of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross, the largest prisoner exchange agreement was signed by the sides in Yemen in October 2020.

The deal resulted in the release of 1,056 people from both sides of the conflict. Among the released individuals were 15 Saudi Arabians and four Sudanese.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Arabia-led Arab Coalition, which supports the government, released 163 Houthis in May 2022.

The step was taken simultaneously with a cease-fire between the Yemeni government and the Houthis, which started in April 2022 and lasted for six months.

Also, the Yemeni government and the Houthis agreed to release 887 detainees, following 10 days of negotiations in Switzerland on March 20. As stated in the agreement, 887 people were released.

Following their release, the Saudi Arabia-led Arab Coalition said on April 16 that 104 Houthi militias were unilaterally released in a humanitarian gesture by Saudi Arabia.

Abdul Qader al-Murtada, the head of the rebel prisoner affairs committee, said 77 prisoners from the government side were released as a unilateral humanitarian initiative on the occasion of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr on April 21.

Also, many prisoner exchanges were carried out between the Yemeni government and the Houthis under the mediation of local elements.

In September 2021, 206 people were released, including 70 from the Houthis and 136 from the government, in the exchange, which was carried out through local elements.

- Yemen civil war, Tehran-Riyadh agreement

The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have been in control of the capital Sana'a and some regions since September 2014.

Coalition forces led by Saudi Arabia have been supporting the Yemeni government against the Houthis since March 2015.

Yemenis are hopeful for a resolution to the country's crisis and conflicts following the April 6 agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which marked the resumption of their relations after seven years.

* Writing by Seda Sevencan in Istanbul.