Yemeni Government and Houthis Agree on Prisoner Swap, Including Prominent Politician Mohammed Qahtan
Yemen Monitor/News Room
The office of the UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, has announced that the Yemeni government and the Houthis have reached an agreement on procedures for the release of prisoners and abductees on account of the war, including prominent politician Mohammed Qahtan, who has been abducted by the Houthis.
The UN envoy’s office said in a brief statement on its social media platforms that the ongoing round of negotiations, which began in Oman, is taking place in a positive and constructive atmosphere so far.
The statement stressed the completion of negotiations responsibly to release all detainees under the principle of “all for all,” noting that the negotiations are part of UN efforts to support the parties to fulfill their obligations under the Stockholm Agreement.
For his part, Abdul Qader al-Mortadha, head of the Houthi negotiating team, said that an agreement had been reached with representatives of the Yemeni government on the release of prominent Islah Party leader Mohammed Qahtan.
He told the Houthi-run Saba news agency that the agreement included the release of Mohammed Qahtan in exchange for the release of 50 army prisoners from the other side, and if he is dead, his body would be handed over in exchange for the other side handing over 50 bodies.
For his part, Yemeni government delegation spokesman Majed Fadel confirmed that “there is an agreement to exchange and release Mohammed Qahtan in exchange for 50 Houthi prisoners.”
In response to a question about whether the Houthis had revealed the status of politician Mohammed Qahtan and whether he is alive, Fadel replied: “No (they did not reveal).” He added: “If he is dead, they will take bodies instead of him,” according to the Middle East newspaper.
Majed Fadel, who is also the deputy minister of Yemen’s Human Rights Ministry, continued: “Usually we do not say that the matter is over until the details are agreed upon, there is definite progress, but the problem remains until implementation.”
Last Sunday, negotiations between the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the armed Houthi group began in the Omani capital Muscat to release prisoners and abductees under UN auspices.
