Barran Press
The government delegation negotiating the release of prisoners and kidnapped individuals has accused the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by international law, of using the release of 100 prisoners as a political tool.
Majed Fadhaiel, the spokesperson for the government delegation, stated that the Houthis' unilateral release of prisoners is an attempt to exploit the humanitarian issue for political and media gain. He emphasized that the act does not absolve the group of its crimes, including kidnapping, abduction, and torture.
"Releasing any number of prisoners, regardless of the pretext, does not erase their crimes," Fadhaiel said in a statement to "Barran Press." "They will remain criminals and violators of humanity."
Fadhaiel further accused the Houthis of kidnapping individuals from public spaces, including streets, mosques, universities, and roads, and then presenting their release as a "humanitarian initiative." He stressed that the release of these individuals does not erase the original crime, which does not expire by the statute of limitations.
"They are exploiting this humanitarian issue for political and media purposes," Fadhaiel added. "If they had a shred of humanity, they would allow the kidnapped politician, Mohammed Qahta, to contact his family after being held captive for over nine years."
The Houthi group, led by Abdulqader al-Murtada, announced the release of 100 prisoners on Friday, claiming it was a "unilateral humanitarian initiative." However, the government delegation, led by Yahya Kazman, dismissed the move as "exposed and scandalous plays" designed to evade their commitments in the prisoner file.
"The group is evading the implementation of its commitments in the file of kidnapped and prisoners, and is heading towards creating exposed and scandalous plays," Kazman stated. "They kidnap citizens from their homes and workplaces, from universities and roads, and use them as a means of pressure and political blackmail."
The government delegation has previously accused the Houthis of obstructing negotiations and hindering efforts to resolve the prisoner issue. A round of negotiations scheduled for this week was postponed indefinitely due to the Houthis' "intransigence and obstruction," according to a spokesperson for the government delegation.
In April 2023, a prisoner exchange deal between the government and the Houthis resulted in the release of 887 prisoners. This was the second-largest deal supervised by the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross since the outbreak of the conflict in Yemen.
The conflict in Yemen has led to a humanitarian crisis, with millions of people displaced and in need of aid. The prisoner issue is a key component of the ongoing peace negotiations.