Yemen's Houthis release 153 prisoners with support from ICRC

Record ID: 1952872

  • Title: Yemen's Houthis release 153 prisoners with support from ICRC
  • Date: 25th January 2025
  • Summary: SANAA, YEMEN (JANUARY 25, 2025) (REUTERS) PEOPLE GATHERED AT MOSQUE'S COURTYARD VARIOUS OF RELEASED PRISONER, HADI AL-WAHEDI, AND OTHER RELEASED PRISONERS EMBRACING RELATIVES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RELEASED PRISONER, HADI AL-WAHEDI, SAYING: "I feel happiness and joy, and we have waited for this moment for years, and praise be to God who has granted it. We thank everyone who
  • Embargoed: 8th February 2025 12:57
  • Keywords: detainees houthis prisoner release war yemen
  • Location: SANAA, YEMEN
  • City: SANAA, YEMEN
  • Country: Yemen
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Middle East
  • Reuters ID: LVA001619225012025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Yemen's Houthi group on Saturday (January 25) released 153 prisoners of war which they said they belong to the internationally recognized government forces.
    This unilateral humanitarian initiative comes after years of stagnation in negotiations over prisoner exchanges between the two parties.
    The release ceremony took place at the yard of the al-Shaab mosque in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital controlled by the Houthis.
    The release was marked by emotional scenes as the freed prisoners were reunited with their families, some breaking down in tears as they embraced their loved ones.
    The release was facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which provided the prisoners with basic necessities, including clothing, personal hygiene items, and cash to help them return to their homes and families.
    The Houthis' move was announced by Abdulqader al-Murtadha, the head of the group's National Committee for Prisoners' Affairs, who attended the release ceremony with several top Houthi officials.
    Speaking during a news conference held for the event, al-Murtadha said that the detainees include elderly, wounded, and voulnerable people who were released for humanitarian reasons,. This was the second such initiative after they released a group of detainees last year, he added.
    (Production: Adel al-Khadher, Abdulrahman al-Ansi, Khaled Abdullah)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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