By Shukri Hussein
SANAA, Yemen (AA) – The Yemeni Houthi group has unilaterally released 113 detainees, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Thursday.
In a statement, the ICRC said the detainees were set free in the capital Sanaa, without specifying the party to which the prisoners belonged.
“We are pleased to see that humanitarian considerations are being prioritized, particularly for the families eagerly awaiting the return of their loved ones,” said Daphnee Maret, the ICRC’s head of delegation in Yemen.
“We hope this paves the way for further releases, bringing comfort to families eagerly anticipating reunification with their loved ones.”
Maret said the ICRC is prepared to extend its humanitarian services to people detained in relation to the conflict in Yemen and their families.
“We also stand ready to serve as a neutral humanitarian intermediary for the simultaneous release and transfer of detainees, should the parties reach an agreement in this regard.”
The ICRC called the unilateral release by the Houthis as a “positive step towards reviving negotiations under the Stockholm Agreement.”
“We are ready to play our role as a neutral intermediary in facilitating the release, transfer, and repatriation of detainees, as we did in 2020 and 2023, whenever the parties to the Stockholm Agreement agree to engage in such efforts once again.”
There was no immediate Houthi comment on the report.
Yemen has seen a relative state of calm since April 2022 following a truce that halted hostilities between Yemeni government forces and the Houthi group.
The government and the Houthis carried out the most recent prisoner exchange in April 2023, releasing around 900 prisoners and detainees from both sides, with mediation from the ICRC and the UN following negotiations in Switzerland.
Yemen has fallen into violence since the Iran-backed Houthi group captured the capital Sanaa and much of the country in 2014 from the Yemeni government.
*Writing by Betul Yilmaz