Houthis Postpone Release of 100 Government Prisoners Due to Technical Issues

Yemen's Houthis postponed the release of around 100 prisoners from government forces, citing technical reasons. The release, initially set for Saturday, is now delayed. Earlier, Houthi official Abdul Qader al-Murtada announced the release as a humanitarian initiative. Yemen's civil war continues to heavily affect its population and governance structure.

Yemen's Houthis said they had postponed the release of around 100 prisoners belonging to government forces that had previously been announced to take place on Saturday.

A Houthi official told Reuters that the delay was because of "technical reasons", adding the release would take place at another time. The head of the Houthi Prisoner Affairs Committee, Abdul Qader al-Murtada, said on Friday that the group would release more than 100 prisoners in what he called "a unilateral humanitarian initiative".

The Houthis, an Iran-aligned movement that controls part of the country, last released prisoners in April 2023 in an exchange of 250 Houthis for 70 government forces. Yemen has been embroiled in years of civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people and left millions hungry.

The Houthis are the de facto authorities in northern Yemen, while the internationally recognised government is represented by the Political Leadership Council, which was formed under Saudi auspices last year and took over power from Yemen's president-in-exile.

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