Yemen government, Houthis reach agreement for large-scale prisoner swap
Government negotiator Majid Fadael stated on social media that both sides agreed to release “thousands of detainees and abductees.” The Houthi group also confirmed the deal, describing it as a large-scale prisoner exchange.
According to the Houthi-led committee for prisoners’ affairs, the arrangement involves freeing 1,700 Houthi prisoners in return for 1,200 detainees held by the government, including seven Saudis and 23 Sudanese. The committee expressed gratitude to Omani officials for facilitating the negotiations.
Negotiations reportedly began in Muscat earlier this month. This exchange follows a similar operation in April 2023, when around 900 prisoners and detainees from both sides were released with mediation from the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN after talks in Switzerland.
Yemen has experienced relative calm since a truce in April 2022, which paused hostilities that erupted in September 2014 after the Iran-aligned Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa. On January 25, 2025, the Houthis had unilaterally released 153 individuals captured in earlier clashes.
The total number of detainees held by both parties remains uncertain. During talks in Stockholm in 2018, delegations submitted lists totaling over 15,000 prisoners and detainees, while human rights groups estimate the figure closer to 20,000.
Despite ongoing regional and international efforts, a comprehensive peace agreement in Yemen has yet to be achieved, and recent security incidents in southern Yemen have raised concerns about potential further fragmentation of the country.
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