[15/10/2020 02:18]

SAYOON - SABA
A number of prisoners and hostages freed from the jails of the Houthi theocratic militia under a prisoner swap deal with the government arrived in Sayoon airport, east of Yemen on Thursday afternoon.

The chairman of the governmental Committee on Prisoners and Hostages, Hadi Hayj, said that “221 prisoners and hostages were freed from the detention centers of the Houthi militia today” and that the prisoners include 19 Arab Coalition soldiers.

He said that more prisoners will be exchanged tomorrow. Deputy Human Rights Minister, a negotiator in the prisoners issue, Majed Fadhayel expected “five journalists to be freed” from the militia’s jails “as per the negotiations [with the militia] that last up until the eve of this scheduled day of prisoner exchange.”

Fadhayel said that the freed governmental prisoners “suffer terrible health conditions including permanent disabilities and chronic diseases as a result of the torture they were subjected to in the Houthi militia-run jails and detention centers.”

He appreciated the efforts of the UN peace mediator and the International Committee of the Red Cross in helping secure the exchange deal.

---