Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Asharq Al-Awsat

Yemen Completes Prisoner Exchange

A person waves as an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)-chartered plane carrying freed prisoners arrives at Sanaa Airport, amid a prisoner swap, in Sanaa, Yemen April 14, 2023. (Reuters)

The Yemeni government and Iran-backed Houthi militias freed scores of prisoners Sunday on the last of a three day exchange of nearly 900 detainees.

Planes carrying detainees took off at the same time from the government-controlled northern city of Marib and the Houthi-held capital of Sanaa, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.

"The first flight from Marib and the first flight from Sanaa have left," ICRC media adviser Jessica Moussan told AFP.

"Forty eight former detainees were on board the Marib-Sanaa flight, and 42 on the Sanaa-Marib flight."

Three other flights during the day were to complete the deal reached in Switzerland last month to exchange 181 government forces for 706 Houthis.

Four journalists sentenced to death by the Houthis are part of the exchange, said government negotiator Majed Fadail.

On Friday, 318 prisoners were transported on four flights between government-controlled Aden and Sanaa, reuniting detainees with their families.

On Saturday, 357 detainees took flights between the Saudi city of Abha and Sanaa. Saudis and Sudanese were among the prisoners freed.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.