Ahmed Arman, the Minister of Legal Affairs and Human Rights in Yemen's internationally recognized government, criticized the UN envoy's office's performance regarding negotiations on detainees and prisoners. He accused the office of incompetence, irresponsibility, and pressuring the government to participate in futile negotiations.

In an exclusive statement to "Barran Press," Arman commented on the United States' decision to impose sanctions on the Houthi Prisoner Affairs Committee, classified as a terrorist organization, and its head, Abdulqader Al-Murtada, for their involvement in abuses against detainees.

Arman stated, "This decision is long overdue and should have been made a long time ago," mentioning the Yemeni government's efforts to have the entire Houthi entity classified by the UN Security Council.

He added that the proposal to classify the Houthis and this committee was on the Security Council's table last November, "but for political reasons, some countries objected," leading to a technical extension of Resolution 2216 without including any Houthi leaders.

Arman emphasized that "classification alone is not enough; it must be followed by other measures, including preventing weapons from reaching the Houthis."

Regarding negotiations on the detainees and prisoners issue, Arman pointed to the government's stance last June of not participating in prisoner negotiations, citing his statement at the time about the futility of these negotiations.

He explained that the Houthis resorted to this step after a long campaign targeting many workers in humanitarian organizations, the UN, and education, who cooperated with some agencies.

The Human Rights Minister revealed that the government was pressured to participate in negotiations, which he described as "futile."

The negotiations between the government and the Houthi group in Muscat, Oman, regarding detainees and prisoners, ended on Saturday, July 6, 2024, with an agreement to resume negotiations within two months after achieving "breakthroughs," according to the UN envoy's office.

Arman noted that the period for exchanging lists ended on September 5, and now, four months later, no breakthroughs have occurred.

"When we talk about exchanging all for all, it means those we acknowledge the Houthis have and those they acknowledge we have, without necessarily matching numbers. So, whether it's 400 for 100 or 700, what both parties agree on should be implemented," Arman said.

Regarding the Muscat negotiations, Arman stated, "After five days of lengthy discussions, the Houthis began setting conditions, including conditions on the Saudis for the release of what they called 'Hamas detainees.'"

As a result, "we withdrew, agreeing to continue exchanging lists within two months and resume after two months. Now, four months later, this has not happened."

"We boycotted the negotiations, considering them futile while the Houthis continue their abduction campaigns," he added.

Arman expressed surprise at the UN envoy's office pressuring the government to engage in negotiations while the Houthis abduct around 22 UN employees, about 50 workers from humanitarian organizations, and several US embassy staff. Additionally, more than 16 educators and about 35 political and national security officers have been abducted, with the campaign ongoing.

He held the UN envoy's office responsible for the pressure exerted on the government, criticizing the UN envoy's efforts in this area as "failed," and stating that the deputy envoy "does not fulfill his role as he should," along with the UN resident representative.

Therefore, the government "completely" rejects dealing with the detainees and prisoners issue in this manner and with the same Houthi committee.

Regarding the Houthi Prisoner Affairs Committee, Arman said its head and members "committed the most heinous abuses against detainees." He added, "It's enough that we in the government agree to exchange civilians."

Arman confirmed that "99% of the detainees held by the Houthis are civilians, not prisoners of war or military personnel, while all those we have are military personnel captured on the battlefronts. Therefore, we handle this issue from a humanitarian perspective."

The Human Rights Minister accused the UN envoy of incompetence, lack of clarity, and seriousness, pointing to his briefing to the Security Council. He questioned how the UN could describe Marib, Aden, and Taiz as "unsafe areas" while ignoring the danger in Houthi-controlled areas, where 22 UN employees were abducted.

"No UN employees were attacked in Marib or Aden, and never in the UN's history have its employees been targeted as they are in Houthi-controlled areas by the group itself," Arman said.

In his briefing to the Security Council today, Hans Grundberg stated, "During recent visits to Aden and Marib, my colleagues held discussions with senior military leaders in the Yemeni government to exchange views and address local security challenges."

Arman accused the UN envoy of exploiting "the current state of the country to present himself differently, making him unworthy of handling detainee issues. Otherwise, the UN offices in Sanaa should have been temporarily closed, and humanitarian aid redirected until the detainees are released."

He said the UN envoy and resident representative proved they "cannot protect their employees," adding that the Houthis benefit from about 2 million aid cases, which they divert for their benefit and war.

Arman criticized the UN envoy and resident representative's handling of the detainees issue, saying they "did not act responsibly and used soft language."

He confirmed that the detainees issue has been stalled for over four months, with the government participating in those negotiations "under pressure, including from the UN envoy's office itself, leading to this situation." He added, "They made promises, but nothing happened."

On Tuesday, January 10, 2024, the United States decided to impose sanctions on the Houthi Prisoner Affairs Committee and its head, Abdulqader Al-Murtada, for their involvement in abuses against prisoners and detainees in the group's detention centers.