Sana'a - Saba:
The National Committee for Prisoners ' Affairs announced on Saturday the implementation of a unilateral humanitarian initiative to release 153 prisoners of the other party under the directives of the leader of the revolution, Sayyed Abdulmalik al-Houthi.
At a press conference held in the capital Sana'a, attended by member of the Supreme Political Council Sultan al-Samei and Chairman of the Prisoners Affairs Committee Abdulkader al-Murtada, explained that most of the prisoners released from the other side, who were captured on the battlefronts, are the wounded, the elderly, the Lonely of families and other situations.
Al-Murtada said that this is the second initiative of its kind in less than a year, "we have already implemented a large unilateral initiative during May last year, and 112 prisoners were released, and between these two initiatives, individual initiatives were implemented and 270 prisoners were released in multiple periods.
He stressed that this initiative was carried out in coordination with the United Nations through the Office of its special envoy, and the International Committee of the Red Cross through the International Committee in Sana'a, who worked during this period to facilitate the necessary procedures for the implementation of the initiative.
Al-Murtada reiterated that this humanitarian initiative came at a sensitive time when the prisoners file witnessed a stalemate and stumbling, especially in the implementation of exchange deals due to obstacles by the other side, and this initiative comes at a time of intensive moves by the UN envoy and his team to push the humanitarian file forward and seek to implement the agreed agreements.
He expressed hope that this initiative will constitute a positive boost to those efforts, adding:"We emphasize that this initiative is a positive humanitarian message from us, we hope that the other side will read it in its proper context and view it as a goodwill gesture aimed at building trust and establishing a new stage of positive, serious and sincere dealing with the prisoners file.
The chairman of the Prisoners ' Affairs Committee reiterated that the committee is dealing with this file from a purely humanitarian point of view, whether in dealing with prisoners inside the prison or in dealing with negotiations through the United Nations or through local mediators.
He promised all humanitarian practices for the right of prisoners of torture, violations or insults of any level, war crimes against humanity and explicit violation of laws, religions, customs, laws and international agreements, stressing that all the prisoners in Sana'a live in normal and humanitarian conditions and none of them are subjected to torture, violations or any inhuman practices.
"We provide them with all their necessary needs of palliation, nutrition and health care according to the available possibilities and allow them to communicate with their families on an ongoing basis and regular visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross, as well as visits by their parents,"he added.
He pointed out that, unfortunately, the other party has committed the most heinous crimes against its prisoners over the past years, and hundreds of field liquidations, as well as torture crimes in prisons, including thousands of prisoners, in addition to the inhuman violations currently practiced, especially in the prisons of the Reform Party in Marib.
Al-Murtada cited the tragic case of prisoner Murad Rizk al-Bahri, who was freed a few days ago through local intermediaries, which is a model for hundreds of prisoners in the prisons of Marib province, calling on the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, international organizations, as well as local intermediaries and all social figures, to put pressure on the militias and mercenaries of the Islah party in Marib to allow prisoners to visit prisons, as well as to allow prisoners to communicate with their families, and to see the conditions of prisoners inside prisons.
"We confirm that with the formation of a fact-finding team consisting of the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, social figures and local mediators to enter all prisons, whether we have them or the other party, to see the conditions of the prisoners and reveal the facts to public opinion, even if the committee or the team starts visiting the prisons we have in Sana'a, we are ready and ready to implement this,"he said.
He reiterated the readiness of the National Committee for Prisoners ' Affairs and its full readiness to unconditionally implement all the agreements signed under the auspices of the United Nations, and readiness to implement all the initiatives put forward by local mediators during the last stage .. "We are ready to implement all agreements and initiatives and are ready to enter into a comprehensive and complete exchange deal that includes all prisoners unconditionally as stipulated by the Stockholm agreement at the end of 2018,"he added.
The chairman of the Prisoners ' Affairs Committee sent some letters, the first of which to the released prisoners, reminding them of the Almighty saying, "O Prophet, tell those in your hands of the prisoners that Allah knows in your hearts good that will bring you better than what was taken from you and forgive you, and Allah is forgiving, merciful," wishing them a safe return to their families and that their period in captivity has clarified to them the magnitude of the mistake they committed by fighting on the side of the foreign invader occupier who seeks to occupy the country and kill their Yemeni families.
He addressed the prisoners by saying,"We hope that the period of your captivity has revealed to you a lot of facts about the enemy on whose side you fought and how he finally abandoned you and refused to exchange you, and we confirm that we have submitted your names more than once and have been refused and deny you and claim to inform him that you are not prisoners but citizens who were arrested from your homes, and of course you will hear more from today".
"We hope that you will consider this initiative to release you a blessing from God and honored by Mr. leader, which you should meet with charity by not getting involved again in the fight against your country and your people and on the side of the enemy of your homeland,"he continued.
Al-Murtada also sent a message to the countries of aggression and mercenaries, saying,"this initiative and the previous initiatives are evidence of strength, not weakness, and confirm the seriousness and credibility in seeking to resolve the file of prisoners, and we expect you to prove your seriousness and credibility at least once in resolving this file by taking a similar step or at least stop putting obstacles to the implementation of the agreements you have committed to and hinder the efforts of the United Nations and local mediators to find fair solutions to the humanitarian file.
He renewed the call for the mercenaries of the aggression to immediately release the detainees who were kidnapped from the roads, hundreds of them, most of them in the prisons of the mercenaries of Marib, "they are citizens who had to travel through Marib, some for more than five to six years, students, doctors, academics, pilgrims, Umrah and merchants without guilt, and they are determined to exchange them for prisoners of war.
He added, "We send our last message to the families of our prisoners that God will reward them for their sacrifices, patience and enduring the separation of their families, and we assure them that we are doing our best and moving as much as we can to free the remaining prisoners, and we assure them that this file receives special attention from the revolutionary leadership and the Supreme Political Council on a permanent and continuous basis, and that Mr. commander personally follows up on this, and we assure them that the committee of enemy prisoners, officers, leaders and important elements to ensure the liberation of all the remaining of our prisoners".
The official spokesman of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Iskandar said, considered the unilateral release of prisoners a positive step that comes in accordance with the Stockholm agreement.
"We have received a notification from the National Committee for Prisoners' Affairs in Sana'a requesting the registration of the release of 153 prisoners, who were in contact with their families, and they are eager and eager to meet with their families,"he said.
"The ICRC has already conducted an interview with the prisoners to confirm their identities, and that they have been in contact with their families and relatives," Saeed added, stressing the committee's readiness to play the role of mediator in order to release all prisoners from all parties.
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