OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 7:02 AM PT — Wednesday, January 30, 2019
The Houthi rebels in Yemen have released a Saudi prisoner. The man was released on humanitarian grounds Tuesday as part of a prisoner swap between the warring parties in Yemen.
The sickened prisoner was flown to Riyadh with officials from the Red Cross, who served as mediators.
The Saudi-led coalition promised seven Yemeni-prisoners would be released in return.
FILE – In this Dec. 13, 2018, file photo, tribesmen loyal to Houthi rebels hold up their weapons as they attend a gathering to show their support for the ongoing peace talks in Sanaa, Yemen. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed, File)
“We consider today a positive step and we hope that in the future, and the ICRC is completely ready to facilitate the transportation of prisoners, and this is something that could give security and reassurance to the thousands of families who lost contact with their children in Yemen because of the conflict,” stated Mirella Hodeib, a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The United Nations is pushing for another major prisoner swap along with a ceasefire in Hodeidah to be implemented before a second round of peace talks can take place.
