Yemen's Presidential Council Warns Houthis over Military Escalation

Rashad Al-Alimi chairs a meeting of the Yemeni Presidential Council (Saba)
Rashad Al-Alimi chairs a meeting of the Yemeni Presidential Council (Saba)
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Yemen's Presidential Council Warns Houthis over Military Escalation

Rashad Al-Alimi chairs a meeting of the Yemeni Presidential Council (Saba)
Rashad Al-Alimi chairs a meeting of the Yemeni Presidential Council (Saba)

Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council warned the Houthi militia against ongoing military escalation and stressed the need to secure enough fuel supplies to operate the power grid, according to the official media.

State-owned news agency Saba reported that Rashad al-Alimi chaired a meeting of the Presidential Council and discussed the recent developments and political efforts to achieve peace and stability.

The official media said that the Council welcomed the launch of the flights from al-Ghaydah Airport, expressing gratitude to Saudi Arabia for rehabilitating the facility and emphasizing its positive impact on investment and travel.

The meeting stressed that the resumption of flights to the airport would stimulate investment activities and alleviate travelers' suffering.

The meeting addressed the economic and financial challenges facing the interim capital, Aden, and the liberated governorates.

The Presidential Council stressed the importance of ensuring the provision of sufficient fuel to operate the electric grid and boosting the role of oversight agencies in addressing the imbalances that affect this vital sector.

They reiterated the Council and government's commitment to enhancing monetary and financial stability and improving the state's access to public resources through comprehensive reforms.

The Council also addressed recent regional and international developments concerning the renewal of the ceasefire.

Official sources said that the Council stressed the importance of restoring state institutions, security, stability, and development and ending the Houthi coup.

According to the sources, the Presidential Council warned the Houthi militia against continuing its military actions and gross human rights violations.

It lauded and appreciated the army and the popular resistance in deterring any escalation aimed at obstructing efforts to achieve peace.

The Council called on the international community to address the intransigence of the Houthi militia, praising people's aspirations to build a modern state that ensures the participation of all Yemenis.

It affirmed its commitment to alleviating human suffering and fulfilling its obligations towards the Yemeni people, paving the way towards achieving internal stability and peace.

- Operation of al Ghaydah Airport

Alimi congratulated the residents of al-Mahra Governorate on the inauguration of flights through al-Ghaydah International Airport as the fourth airport in the liberated governorates after years of suffering and the hardship of travel.

The head of the Council praised the Saudi efforts that led to this achievement.

On Thursday, the first Yemen Airways planes arrived at the airport, which became operational after rehabilitation by the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY).

The airport rehabilitation project included developing and upgrading the efficiency of the units, halls, and buildings inside the airport, providing it with the navigational system (RNAV), and a communication system for the air control tower in compliance with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

The inauguration took place with the participation of the Minister of Transport, Abd al-Salam Hamid, and several officials.

Hamid stressed the importance of operating domestic flights at al-Ghaydah airport, saying the future step will be to operate international flights, which would facilitate citizens' travel and stimulate the commercial and tourism movement.



Lebanon’s Rioting Inmates Call for General Amnesty Law

A video grab of prisoners carrying out mock hangings at Roumieh prison, east of Beirut. Asharq Al-Awsat
A video grab of prisoners carrying out mock hangings at Roumieh prison, east of Beirut. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Lebanon’s Rioting Inmates Call for General Amnesty Law

A video grab of prisoners carrying out mock hangings at Roumieh prison, east of Beirut. Asharq Al-Awsat
A video grab of prisoners carrying out mock hangings at Roumieh prison, east of Beirut. Asharq Al-Awsat

Riots at Roumieh prison, east of Beirut, renewed on Thursday to pressure the Lebanese parliament to adopt a general amnesty law and slash the prison year from 9 to 6 months.

The rioting began on Wednesday night and continued till noon Thursday in an attempt by prisoners to pressure the parliament that was in session. Some of them even carried out mock hangings.

However, lawmakers failed to adopt the draft-law and referred it to parliamentary committees “for further review and amendments.”

Asharq Al-Awsat spoke by phone with some of the inmates. One of them said that the prisoners suspended their rioting “to avoid a confrontation with the guards ... who are not the reason behind our suffering.”

“The prisoners had received promises that the general amnesty draft-law would be adopted during Thursday’s session. However, unfortunately, the draft-law was referred to the committees, which are the graveyard for laws.”

“We don’t want to resort to escalation so that we don’t get into a confrontation with security forces and we don’t harm ourselves,” the prisoner added.

Lebanon suffers from overcrowded prisons where inmates, who live in poor conditions, demand better treatment and speedier trials.

Roumieh prison houses more than 4,000 prisoners, around three times its intended capacity, and has long been infamous for the poor conditions in some of its blocks.

A security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the rioting on Wednesday and Thursday was limited to block B of the prison, where Islamist inmates are incarcerated. The source said that some of the block’s gates were broken down but there were no confrontations between the protesters and the security forces tasked with guarding the prison.

When the prisoners were informed about the draft-law’s referral to the parliamentary committees for further discussion, they issued a statement accusing “the parliament of once again disregarding the voice of conscience and humanity.”

They called for “exceptional measures” to resolve the problem of overcrowded prisons that have suffered from “injustices in arrests and trials.”