11 Apr 2023; MEMO: The Yemeni government said, Tuesday, the prisoner exchange process with the Houthis will begin on Thursday, 13 April, Anadolu News Agency reported, citing an unnamed government source.
The source said the government is fully prepared to implement this anticipated deal, without giving further details.
In turn, a member of the government team dealing with the prisoners' file, Majed Fadael, said all arrangements have been completed and everyone is ready to implement the agreed-upon exchange process at the specified time.
In a brief statement to the Saudi Al-Hadath TV channel, Fadael added that the exchange process will be followed by other operations soon, until all detainees and abductees are released on the basis of all for all, and all detention centres and prisons are cleared.
Fadael confirmed that arrangements with the Houthi side have been completed, and that the implementation will take place on Thursday, after it was postponed for 3 days at the request of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
On Saturday, the Yemeni government announced that the ICRC had requested an additional 3 days to complete procedures to start implementing the prisoner exchange deal.
On 20 March, the Yemeni government announced an agreement with the Houthi group to release 887 prisoners from both sides, at the conclusion of consultations held in Switzerland in this regard.
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Fadael told Anadolu that, on Thursday, 72 prisoners will be exchanged, as a first stage, including the former Minister of Defence, Major-General Mahmoud Al-Subaihi, and General Nasser Mansour, the brother of former President, Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
Al-Subaihi and General Hadi were arrested in late March 2015, in the town of Al-Anad, north of Lahj Governorate (south), while fighting against the Houthis.
Fadael explained that 19 prisoners will be transferred to the Arab coalition, including 16 Saudis and 3 Sudanese, on the second day of the exchange with the Houthis.
No statements were issued by the Houthi group and the ICRC on the deal.
