Yemen Monitor/ Tokyo/ Exclusive:
Japan has removed former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his son “Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh” from the international sanctions list, where they had been included for the past ten years.
Both had been classified based on actions alleged to “threaten the peace, security, and stability of Yemen” and were removed by the United Nations and the EU in recent weeks.
Ali Abdullah Saleh ruled Yemen for 33 years. Sanctions were imposed on him and his son in 2014 for aiding the Houthis in taking control of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and obstructing the political transition process.
The removal of Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh from the sanctions list may enable him to leave the United Arab Emirates; additionally, Saleh’s family will be able to access their family funds, estimated at $32 billion according to a previous UN report.
President Ali Saleh was killed by the Houthis in late 2017 after he attempted to shift his loyalty from the Houthis to opposing them and supporting the Saudi-led coalition against the armed group.
