Deputy Head of the National Authority for Prisoners and Detainees to Yemen Monitor: The Houthis Have Frozen the Prisoner File and Turned It into a Bargaining Chip
By/ Abdullah Al-Attar
Yemen Monitor / Marib:
A senior government official has accused the armed Houthi group of freezing the prisoner and detainee file and turning it from an urgent humanitarian issue into a tool for political blackmail and economic gains, in defiance of the “all-for-all” principle stipulated in previous agreements.
In an exclusive statement to Yemen Monitor, Hassan Al-Qubaisi, Deputy Head of the National Authority for Prisoners and Detainees, affirmed that the file is experiencing an “unjustified state of stagnation,” despite the efforts made by the legitimate government to treat it as a purely humanitarian issue requiring immediate resolution, away from any political calculations or other negotiation tracks.
Al-Qubaisi attributed the current deadlock in negotiations to what he described as a “fundamental divergence in visions.” While the government insists on a comprehensive solution, the Houthi group treats prisoners as hostages for bargaining.
He added, “All previous negotiation rounds came to a halt due to Houthi intransigence,” revealing that the office of the UN envoy to Yemen is still conducting “individual contacts and dialogues” with the concerned parties in an attempt to break the deadlock and overcome the obstacles imposed by the Houthis.
The government official emphasized that the (all-for-all) principle has always been the foundation agreed upon to end the suffering of thousands of Yemeni families. He continued, “But the Houthis continue to evade this commitment and push toward partial and limited exchange deals, aiming to keep the remaining prisoners as political pressure cards.”
Al-Qubaisi concluded by stressing that the National Authority for Prisoners will spare no effort in pursuing this file until achieving a “complete breakthrough” and emptying the prisons, in accordance with humanitarian principles and the signed agreements.
The “all-for-all” principle is based on the Stockholm Agreement signed in December 2018, which stipulated the exchange of all prisoners, detainees, forcibly disappeared individuals, and those under house arrest.
