عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Yemen: First Day of Prisoner Swap to Witness Release of 320 Detainees

Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi meets with the British Ambassador in Riyadh (SABA)
Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi meets with the British Ambassador in Riyadh (SABA)
TT
TT

Yemen: First Day of Prisoner Swap to Witness Release of 320 Detainees

Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi meets with the British Ambassador in Riyadh (SABA)
Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi meets with the British Ambassador in Riyadh (SABA)

The Yemeni government and the Houthis will swap prisoners and detainees starting Friday as part of a deal concluded in Switzerland. This will take place in parallel to diplomatic movements in Riyadh aimed at supporting Saudi and Omani efforts to persuade Yemeni parties to accept a proposed peace map.

Since last Sunday, Saudi and Omani diplomats have been trying to persuade the Houthis to agree to a peace map that includes securing a ceasefire and renewing and expanding the truce.

Yemeni and international circles are optimistic that the coming days will be crucial in reaching an agreement that will ultimately lead to a final and lasting peace in Yemen.

Yemeni government sources and the Houthis have reported that, on Thursday, the bodies of four identified dead were exchanged as part of the Switzerland deal.

Two bodies were transported overland to Sanaa, while the other two were taken to Marib.

Both government negotiator Majed Fadael and Houthi official in charge of prisoner affairs Abdul Qader Al-Mortada have reported that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) informed them that the process of exchanging prisoners and detainees will begin on Friday.

The first day of the three-day swap operation will witness the exchange of over 320 detainees and kidnapped individuals by both parties through ICRC planes, said Fadael in a tweet.

The prisoner exchange is scheduled to take place through six Yemeni and Saudi airports in Sanaa, Aden, Al-Mukalla, Marib, Riyadh, and Abha, facilitated by the ICRC.

The deal brokered in Switzerland last month between negotiators from the Yemeni government and Houthi militias involved the exchange of 887 prisoners and detainees, including both civilians and military personnel.

The negotiations, which were facilitated by the UN and the ICRC, lasted for 10 days.

The Yemeni government welcomed the agreement and stated that further discussions will be held to release the remaining prisoners and detainees based on the principle of “all for all.”

The anticipated exchange includes 181 individuals for the government and its supporting forces, and 706 individuals for the Houthi militias, most of whom were captured on battlefronts.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

After US Exemption, UN Says More Significant Syria Sanctions Work Needed

A general view shows Damascus from Mount Qasioun, after one month since the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
A general view shows Damascus from Mount Qasioun, after one month since the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
TT
TT

After US Exemption, UN Says More Significant Syria Sanctions Work Needed

A general view shows Damascus from Mount Qasioun, after one month since the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
A general view shows Damascus from Mount Qasioun, after one month since the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)

A US sanctions exemption for transactions with governing institutions in Syria is welcome, but "much more significant work ... will inevitably be necessary," the UN special envoy on Syria, Geir Pedersen, told the Security Council on Wednesday.

After 13 years of civil war, Syria's President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in a lightening offensive by opposition forces led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group a month ago.

The US, Britain, the European Union and others imposed tough sanctions on Syria after a crackdown by Assad on pro-democracy protests in 2011 that spiraled into war. But the new reality in Syria has been further complicated by sanctions on HTS - and some leaders - for its days as an al-Qaeda affiliate.

"I welcome the recent issuance of a new temporary General License by the United States government. But much more significant work in fully addressing sanctions and designations will inevitably be necessary," Pedersen told the council.

The US on Monday issued a sanctions exemption, known as a general license, for transactions with governing institutions in Syria for six months in an effort to ease the flow of humanitarian assistance and allow some energy transactions.

"The United States welcomes positive messages from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, but will ultimately look for progress in actions, not words," deputy US Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Camille Shea told the Security Council.

The foreign ministry in Damascus on Wednesday welcomed the US move and called for a full lifting of restrictions to support Syria's recovery.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said earlier on Wednesday that European Union sanctions on Syria that obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid and hinder the country's recovery could be lifted swiftly.

Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia criticized the sanctions imposed on Syria by Washington and others, adding: "As a result, the Syrian economy is under extreme pressure and is not able to cope with the challenges facing the country." Russia was an Assad ally throughout the war.

'END THE SUFFERING'

Formerly known as Nusra Front, HTS was al-Qaeda's official wing in Syria until breaking ties in 2016. Along with unilateral measures, the group has also been on the UN Security Council al-Qaeda and ISIS sanctions list for more than a decade, subjected to a global assets freeze and arms embargo.

There are no UN sanctions on Syria over the civil war.

Syria's UN Ambassador Koussay Aldahhak was appointed a year ago by Assad's government but told the council on Wednesday that he was speaking for the caretaker authorities.

"It is high time to end the suffering, to enable Syrians to live in security and prosperity, to live a dignified life in their country, to build a better future for their country," Aldahhak said.

"For this reason, we call upon the United Nations and its member states to immediately and fully lift the unilateral coercive measures to provide the necessary financing to meet humanitarian needs and recover basic services," he said.

Pedersen said he is seeking to work with the caretaker authorities in Syria "on how the nascent and important ideas and steps so far articulated and initiated could be developed towards a credible and inclusive political transition."

Pedersen said attacks on Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity must stop, specifically calling out Israel.

As Assad's government crumbled towards the end of last year, Israel launched a series of strikes against Syrian military infrastructure and weapons manufacturing sites to prevent them falling into the hands of enemies.

"Reports of the IDF using live ammunition against civilians, displacement and destruction of civilian infrastructure are also very worrying," Pedersen said. "Such violations, along with Israeli airstrikes in other parts of Syria – reported even last week in Aleppo – could further jeopardize the prospects for an orderly political transition."