No agreement reached during Jordan talks on prisoner swap deal: Sanaa

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
18 Jun 2023 21:04

The head of the National Committee for Prisoners' Affairs in Sanaa says it was agreed to hold another round after Eid Al-Adha to agree on a new prisoner exchange deal.

The head of the National Committee for Prisoners' Affairs in Sanaa, Abdul Qadir Al-Murtada (SABA news agency)

The head of the National Committee for Prisoners' Affairs in Sanaa, Abdul Qadir Al-Murtada, told Al Mayadeen on Sunday that the round of talks in Jordan over a potential prisoner exchange ended without reaching any agreement.

Al-Murtada indicated that a number of ideas and proposals were discussed to expand the prisoner exchange deal between the two parties, adding that it was agreed to hold another round after Eid Al-Adha to agree on a new exchange deal.

Since last Friday, talks have been taking place in the Jordanian capital, Amman, between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the Sanaa government, under the auspices of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), with the aim of preparing for a future prisoner exchange, as per the ICRC.

The UN envoy's office stated on Friday that the Amman negotiations were a continuation of an agreement reached by the two parties in Stockholm five years prior.

According to the agreement, all those held in connection with the war on Yemen must be released "without any exceptions or conditions," including inmates, detainees, missing persons, people who have been arbitrarily detained and forcibly vanished, and people who are under house arrest.

Jessica Moussan, the ICRC's Middle Eastern media advisor, indicated that the ICRC was working with both parties to negotiate a prisoner exchange in accordance with a March agreement reached in Switzerland that resulted in the release of roughly 900 captives.

This comes as in April, a major prisoner exchange took place over three days while diplomatic efforts to achieve a long-term truce were stepped up.

According to the Insan Organization for Rights and Liberties in Sanaa, the number of civilians abducted by the coalition of aggression reached nearly 1,200, including women and children, between November 2021 and May 2023.

It is noteworthy that in recent months, the Sultanate of Oman put efforts to stop the aggression against Yemen and lift the unlawful siege imposed on the country by mediating a peace deal between Sanaa and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.

However, due to Western obstruction, Saudi and Yemeni negotiators failed to agree on a new truce.