Yemen s Houthis say Saudi pilots will only be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners
Yemeni loyalists of the Houthi movement in Sana a, Yemen on 8 August 2020 [Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images] December 31, 2020 at 3:53 pm
An official in Yemen s Houthi-led National Salvation Government (NSG) has reiterated that Saudi pilots currently being held captive will only be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in the kingdom.
In an interview yesterday with
Al-Masirah TV, the head of the National Committee for Prisoners Affairs, Abdulqadir Al-Murtadha, stated: We have assured the other party that the Saudi pilots will not be released from prison except in exchange for the Palestinian prisoners in Saudi Arabia.
Yemen: Warring sides complete major prisoner swap
The deal, brokered by the United Nations, was more than two years in the making. It s being hailed as an important step, raising hopes that the country s stalled peace process can be revived.
Opposing sides in Yemen s ongoing conflict completed a UN-brokered prisoner exchange on Friday, the largest such swap in the five-year conflict.
More than 1,000 prisoners were released and taken back to their homes over the two-day exchange between the Houthi rebels, who are supported by Iran, and the Saudi-backed government in Yemen. The Houthis said 671 prisoners arrived in the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, during the operation.