Barran Press
The Yemeni government delegation, recognized by the international community, accused the international community on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, of "condoning" what it described as the manipulation of the prisoner and hostage file by the Houthi group, internationally classified as a terrorist organization.
During a press conference held in Marib, the government delegation demanded pressure on the Houthi group and "a clear and deterrent stance to stop them from arrests, executions, and enforced disappearances of civilians, and to enforce their commitment to releasing all prisoners and hostages in a 'all for all' exchange."
The negotiating delegation stressed the "need for the international community to use real pressure tactics on the militia, primarily by classifying it as a terrorist organization by the United Nations and various European and American member states, as Yemen, the Arab League, Australia, and Canada have done."
The government team renewed its call for the UN envoy and the international community to reveal the "fate of those forcibly disappeared, including politician Mohammed Qahtan, and to allow his family to visit him." They also demanded the "dropping of all death sentences issued against detainees, whether in their prisons or those released in exchange operations under UN supervision, who were later sentenced to death."
The delegation stated that "there will be no negotiations with the Houthi terrorist militia as long as they have not adhered to the agreement to release those forcibly disappeared."
During the conference, the delegation presented a glimpse of what it called "Houthi manipulation of the prisoner and forcibly disappeared file," highlighting the obstacles they constantly place, including issuing death sentences against many forcibly disappeared individuals and journalists released in exchange operations under UN supervision. They also pointed to the ongoing arrest campaigns against civilians, most recently targeting humanitarian organization staff and diplomatic personnel, who were forced under torture to confess to "false" accusations of being agents and spies.
The government team asserted that the "international community's condoning and silence" regarding these violations and behaviors "encouraged the Houthis to further manipulate this humanitarian file and escalate tensions... in flagrant violation of laws, treaties, and conventions related to their protection and independence."