Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen correspondent in southern Lebanon: An Israeli drone strike targeted the town of Yater, South Lebanon
Lebanese Ministry of Health: One martyr and five wounded in an Israeli drone strike on a car in Al-Numayriyeh, Nabatieh District.
Al Mayadeen correspondent to Gaza: The areas required to be evacuated in western Gaza contain tens of thousands of displaced people.
Al-Mayadeen correspondent to Gaza: The Israeli evacuation threats are for areas the occupation considers safe, deep within western Gaza.
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister: Beirut has not received any official memorandum from Syria, neither through the Foreign Ministry’s diplomatic channels nor via the joint Lebanese-Syrian committee.
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister told Al Mayadeen that he has not received any official notification regarding a potential visit by his Syrian counterpart to Beirut
Russia calls for the continuation of ceasefire between "Israel" and Iran without any breaks: Lavrov
The Israeli military command confirmed the death of an officer—a commander serving as a team leader in the elite 1st Golani Brigade’s Patrol Battalion—during intense confrontations in the southern Gaza Strip
Israeli media: An Israeli guard was killed in a shooting attack at the Gush Etzion Junction, and those who carried out the operation were injured
Ofer Military Court extended Nasser al-Lahham's detention for three days

Sanaa says ready to release coalition detainees as part of swap deal

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 3 Oct 2023 23:14
  • 1 Shares
3 Min Read

The head of Sanaa's prisoners' committee says the prisoner swap deal signed in Switzerland is in a state of deadlock due to the lack of seriousness from the Saudi-led coalition.

  • x
  • Sanaa blasts stubborn Saudi coalition for stagnant prisoner swap deal.
    Abdul Qader al-Murtada, the head of the National Committee for Prisoners' Affairs in the Sanaa government. (SABA)

The government of Sanaa expressed on Tuesday its readiness to release Saudi and Sudanese detainees who had been fighting alongside the Saudi-led coalition forces.

Sanaa has stipulated that the release be part of a prisoner exchange deal that includes the coalition-appointed Yemeni government, adding that the Saudi-led coalition is not serious about finalizing such a deal.

Abdul Qader al-Murtada, the head of the National Committee for Prisoners' Affairs in the Sanaa government, stated that the "prisoner exchange deal signed in Switzerland is in a state of deadlock due to the lack of seriousness from the coalition of aggression," as quoted by the Yemeni Al-Masirah TV.

Al-Murtada confirmed that Sanaa has agreed to a key demand of the Saudi-backed "Marib forces", which is to reveal the fate of the Islah Party leader Mohammad Qahtan and include him in a future deal. However, Sanaa's request to disclose the fate of its prisoners or allow officials to visit Marib's prisons was rebuffed.

The official revealed that the Saudi-led coalition "has not been serious about the prisoner file so far," adding that this reflects "stubbornness and procrastination" on the part of more than one side involved in the negotiations.

Related News

Ansar Allah vows to continue Red Sea operations in support of Gaza

Trump’s bombing of Yemen killed as many civilians as 23 years prior

Read more: Two Yemeni citizens killed by Saudi-led coalition shelling in Saada

He confirmed that the Sanaa government does indeed hold Saudi and Sudanese detainees who fought within coalition forces, expressing Sanaa's readiness to work on "a comprehensive deal that includes prisoners from all parties."

It is worth noting that in June 2023, talks between the Sanaa government and the coalition-appointed government on the prisoners' file ended in an agreement for a new round of negotiations following Eid al-Adha, however, no serious talks have taken place since.

Attempts to draw the two sides closer to a prisoner exchange deal, via reciprocal visits to prisons in Marib and Sanaa were hindered in May this year after the coalition-appointed government added a new batch of conditions. According to both governments' figures, there is a total of 15,000 detainees on both sides.

On April 17, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced that a deal had been reached for the release of around 887 detainees, during negotiations that took place in Switzerland between the two sides.

Although talks are ongoing between Sanaa and different sides of the Saudi-led coalition, including Riyadh itself, progress on several issues including detainees, the lifting of the blockade on Yemen, and other humanitarian issues have not seen significant progress. 

Read more: Saudi messages positive, must be put into practice: Politburo chief

  • Sanaa
  • Saudi-led coalition
  • Yemen
  • Abdul Qader al-Murtada
  • Sudan
  • war on Yemen
  • Saudi Arabia

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Concrete and rubble fall from a heavily damaged building as Israeli soldiers search for survivors in a residential area hit by a missile fired from Iran, near Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine, Sunday, June 15, 2025 (AP)

'Israel' concealed damage inflicted by Iran in war, report finds

  • Politics
  • 5 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Gaza’s population shrinks by 10% amid Israeli genocide
Politics

Gaza’s population shrinks by 10% amid Israeli genocide

UK probes US firm over Gaza ethnic cleansing charges
Politics

UK probes US firm over Gaza ethnic cleansing charges

President Donald Trump, left, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, right, during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Politics

Schumer calls on Trump to fire Hegseth over Ukraine arms delay

Right-wing Knesset member Itamar Ben-Gvir is on hand for a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to right-wing opposition party members, at the Knesset in al-Quds, Monday, June 14, 2021 (AP)
Politics

New settler police force tightens Israeli grip on occupied West Bank

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS