Three planes of the International Committee of the Red Cross arrived at Sana’a International Airport on Sunday, carrying 105 prisoners liberated from the prisons of the mercenaries of aggression in Ma’rib province, within the framework of the Swiss agreement.
Upon their arrival, the prisoners were received by members of the Supreme Political Council, Muhammad Salih Al-Nuaimi, Sultan Al-Sami’i, Mubarak Al-Mishn, Deputy Prime Minister for Security and Defense Affairs Lieutenant General Jalal Al-Ruwaishan, Chief of the General Staff and his deputy for training and rehabilitation affairs Major General Ali Al-Moshki, and Ministers of Information, Dhaifallah Al-Shami, Electricity and Energy, Dr. Muhammad Al-Bukhaiti, and Tourism Ahmed Al-Amir. Civil service, insurance, and higher education and scientific research, Hussein Hazeb, the head of the Supreme Authority for Tenders and Auctions, Abdul-Malik Al-Arashi, the head of the Zakat Authority, Sheikh Shamsan Abu Nashtan, military and security leaders, and a large gathering of the masses, families and relatives of the prisoners.
The head of the National Committee for Prisoners, Abd al-Qadir al-Murtada, confirmed that within three days, a prisoner exchange operation was carried out, 706 prisoners from the army and the popular committees, in exchange for 181 prisoners from the other side.
He said, “The prisoners of the army and the popular committees were distributed among the Saudi prisons, numbering 250 prisoners, 250 prisoners who were captured on the fronts of Lahj, Aden, and Al-Dhalea, and 100 prisoners who were captured on the West Coast front, in addition to 105 prisoners who were released from Marib prisons, which arrived today, the last batch.”
He explained that this deal, which was agreed upon, is basically part of the March agreement that was concluded last year, and the implementation of the first and second parts of it began, and a next round will be held in May to include 700 prisoners from the army and the popular committees, and 700 prisoners from the other side.
He stated that the agreement includes three main points, the first is the completion of the deal that was agreed upon and was implemented during the three days, and the second point is the formation of committees from both parties to visit the prisons in Marib and Sana’a, and this step will be agreed upon in the coming days in coordination and follow-up with the office of the UN representative, and the third point is the United Nations issuing an invitation for all parties to attend a new round of negotiations.
He pointed out that the Ramadan deal, which was currently implemented, included dozens of those who were kidnapped from the roads while traveling from Marib, indicating that among those released today was the kidnapped Yemeni captive, Samira Marsh.
The head of the National Prisoners Committee also confirmed the continuation of efforts to release the prisoners who have not been released.
Source: Yemen News Agency