US calls on Yemen’s Houthis to release local embassy staff
3 years, 2 months ago

US calls on Yemen’s Houthis to release local embassy staff

Al Jazeera  

Most detainees have been released but Yemeni rebels continue to hold unspecified number of US embassy employees in Sanaa, US official says. The United States has called on Yemen’s Houthi rebels to release an unspecified number of detained Yemenis who work for the US embassy in the capital, Sanaa. “We are concerned that Yemeni staff of the US Embassy in Sanaa continue to be detained without explanation and we call for their immediate release,” the official said, urging the Houthis to “immediately vacate” the compound and return all seized property. At a briefing on Tuesday, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the Biden administration was “extremely concerned” by reports of the detentions of US embassy employees in Sanaa. Earlier this year, US President Joe Biden announced an end to American support for Saudi Arabia’s “offensive operations” in Yemen, including “relevant arms sales”.

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History of this topic

Yemen’s Houthis seized UN rights office in Sanaa, UN official says
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Yemen’s Houthis seized UN rights office in Sanaa, UN official says

Associated Press  

CAIRO — Yemen’s Houthi rebels stormed the headquarters of the United Nations’ Human Rights Office in the capital, Sanaa, seizing documents, furniture and vehicles, a senior U.N. official said Tuesday. The rebels took over the U.N. Human Rights Office’s premises in Sanaa on Aug. 3, after forcing U.N. Yemeni workers to hand over belongings, including documents, furniture and vehicles, U.N. …

Yemen’s Houthis seized UN rights office in Sanaa, UN official says
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Yemen’s Houthis seized UN rights office in Sanaa, UN official says

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Yemen’s Houthi rebels stormed the …

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis seize UN human rights office in Sanaa amid regional tensions
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis seize UN human rights office in Sanaa amid regional tensions

India TV News  

Sanaa: In an alarming move amid boiling tensions in the fragile Middle East region, Yemen's Houthi rebels stormed the headquarters of the United Nations Human Rights Office in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa and seized important documents, furniture and vehicles, according to a senior UN official on Tuesday. The rebels took over the UN Human Rights Office's premises in Sanaa …

Yemen’s Houthi rebels could free a rival political leader held incommunicado since 2015, UN says
6 months ago

Yemen’s Houthi rebels could free a rival political leader held incommunicado since 2015, UN says

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — Yemen’s Houthi rebels could free a political leader with ties to the internationally recognized government who has been detained for nearly a decade, under a preliminary prisoner swap deal announced by the United Nations on Monday. Mohamed Qahtan is the leader of the Sunni Islamist Islah party, which is aligned with the Saudi Arabia-backed government, and he …

Leaders of UN and aid groups urge immediate release of 17 staffers being held by Yemen’s rebels
6 months, 4 weeks ago

Leaders of UN and aid groups urge immediate release of 17 staffers being held by Yemen’s rebels

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — The heads of six U.N. agencies and three international humanitarian organizations issued a joint appeal Thursday to Yemen’s Houthi rebels for the immediate release of 17 members of their staff who were recently detained along with many others also being held by the Iranian-backed group. Samantha Power, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, strongly condemned …

Yemen’s Houthi claim to break up US-Israel spy network, days after arresting UN staffers
7 months ago

Yemen’s Houthi claim to break up US-Israel spy network, days after arresting UN staffers

Associated Press  

CAIRO — Yemen’s Houthi rebels said Monday they had arrested members of an “American-Israeli spy network” days after detaining at least 11 U.N. staffers along with others from aid organizations. Maj. Gen. Abdulhakim al-Khayewani, head of the Houthis’ intelligence agency, announced the arrests, saying the spy network had first operated out of the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa. Al-Khayewani depicted the …

Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Detain at Least 9 UN Staffers and Others in Sudden Crackdown, Officials Say
7 months ago

Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Detain at Least 9 UN Staffers and Others in Sudden Crackdown, Officials Say

Deccan Chronicle  

Dubai : At least nine Yemeni employees of United Nations agencies have been detained by Yemen's Houthi rebels under unclear circumstances, authorities said Friday, as the rebels face increasing financial pressure and airstrikes from a US-led coalition. The detentions come as the Houthis, who seized Yemen's capital nearly a decade ago and have been fighting a Saudi-led coalition since shortly …

Yemen's Houthi rebels detain at least 11 UN staffers, officials say
7 months ago

Yemen's Houthi rebels detain at least 11 UN staffers, officials say

Associated Press  

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Eleven Yemeni employees of United Nations agencies have been detained by Yemen’s Houthi rebels under unclear circumstances, authorities said Friday, as the rebels face increasing financial pressure and airstrikes from a U.S.-led coalition. AP AUDIO: Yemen’s Houthi rebels detain at least 9 UN staffers and others in sudden crackdown, officials say AP correspondent Charles de …

Yemen’s Houthis detain 11 UN staff, aid workers
7 months ago

Yemen’s Houthis detain 11 UN staff, aid workers

Al Jazeera  

UN says it is ‘pursuing all available channels’ to secure the safe release of its personnel ‘as soon as possible’. Yemen’s Houthi group is detaining at least 11 United Nations personnel, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric has said, calling for the staff’s unconditional release. In a series of raids, armed Houthi intelligence officers also detained three employees of the US-funded pro-democracy …

U.N. ‘very concerned’ after 11 of its employees are detained by Houthis
7 months ago

U.N. ‘very concerned’ after 11 of its employees are detained by Houthis

LA Times  

Eleven Yemeni employees of United Nations agencies have been detained by Yemen’s Houthi rebels under unclear circumstances, authorities said Friday, as the rebels face increasing financial pressure and airstrikes from a U.S.-led coalition. The Mayyun Organization for Human Rights, which similarly identified the U.N. staffers held, named other aid groups whose employees were detained by the Houthis across four provinces …

Yemen's Houthis unilaterally release 113 detainees: ICRC
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Yemen's Houthis unilaterally release 113 detainees: ICRC

China Daily  

Detainees walk to attend a press conference on their release by the Houthi group in Sanaa, Yemen, May 26, 2024. SANAA - Yemen's Houthi group unilaterally released 113 detainees in the Houthi-held Yemeni capital Sanaa on Sunday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. "We are pleased to see that humanitarian considerations are being prioritized, particularly for the families …

Yemen’s Houthis freed over 100 war prisoners, the Red Cross says
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Yemen’s Houthis freed over 100 war prisoners, the Red Cross says

The Independent  

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UN: 5 staff members kidnapped in Yemen last year released
1 year, 5 months ago

UN: 5 staff members kidnapped in Yemen last year released

Al Jazeera  

All ‘five colleagues’ who were kidnapped 18 months ago are in good health, spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres says. The United Nations says five staff members who were kidnapped in Yemen 18 months ago have walked free. In a brief statement on Friday, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said all “available information suggests that all …

Saudi-led coalition releases additional Yemen war prisoners
1 year, 8 months ago

Saudi-led coalition releases additional Yemen war prisoners

Associated Press  

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A Saudi-led military coalition on Monday freed 104 more prisoners captured in Yemen’s war, a unilateral release that followed an organized prisoner swap amid renewed diplomatic efforts to halt the conflict. The International Committee of the Red Cross said it flew two flights carrying a total of 96 released detainees from Saudi Arabia’s Abha International …

Yemen rebels and government complete prisoner exchange
1 year, 8 months ago

Yemen rebels and government complete prisoner exchange

Al Jazeera  

Scores of prisoners have been freed on the last of a three-day exchange of nearly 900 detainees. Yemeni rebels and government forces have freed scores of prisoners, including a woman, on the last of a three-day exchange of more than 800 detainees, boosting hopes of ending their protracted war. “She was freed in exchange for the release of journalists held …

Yemen rebels, Saudi coalition begin United Nations-brokered prisoner swap
1 year, 8 months ago

Yemen rebels, Saudi coalition begin United Nations-brokered prisoner swap

The Hindu  

An exchange of more than 800 prisoners from Yemen's war held by the Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led coalition battling them began on April 14, the International Committee for the Red Cross said. The three-day exchange will see flights transport prisoners between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, long held by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, said Majed Fadail, a deputy …

Hundreds released in Yemen prisoner swap after Houthi-Saudi talks
1 year, 8 months ago

Hundreds released in Yemen prisoner swap after Houthi-Saudi talks

Al Jazeera  

Nearly 900 detainees are expected to be released according to an agreement reached between warring parties in Yemen. The release and swap of nearly 900 detainees by the two sides in Yemen’s conflict has begun, a significant confidence-building measure as peace talks between Saudi envoys and Houthi rebels intensify. The International Committee of the Red Cross, which is managing the …

Progress in Yemen peace talks hailed despite prisoner swap delay
1 year, 9 months ago

Progress in Yemen peace talks hailed despite prisoner swap delay

Al Jazeera  

The direct talks between Houthi and Saudi officials have raised hopes for peace in Yemen ravaged by nine years of war. A prisoner swap expected on Wednesday between Yemen’s Houthi rebels and the internationally recognised government has been delayed, but the first remarks by warring factions on the latest peace talks to end the country’s nine-year conflict conveyed optimism. Saudi …

Saudi diplomat: Talks with Houthis aim to revive Yemen truce
1 year, 9 months ago

Saudi diplomat: Talks with Houthis aim to revive Yemen truce

Associated Press  

CAIRO — Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen said Monday his trip to the Houthi-held capital of Sanaa was aimed at reviving a cease-fire and re-starting political talks to end the nine-year conflict. Yemen’s conflict began in 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthis seized Sanaa and much of Yemen’s north, ousting the internationally recognized government that fled to the south then into …

Yemen: Saudis free 13 Houthis as Omani officials visit Sanaa
1 year, 9 months ago

Yemen: Saudis free 13 Houthis as Omani officials visit Sanaa

Associated Press  

CAIRO — Saudi Arabia on Saturday released over a dozen war prisoners to their rivals, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, a Houthi official said. Abdul-Qader el-Murtaza, a Houthi official in charge of prisoner exchange talks in Yemen’s conflict, said 13 Houthi prisoners arrived Saturday in the capital, Sanaa. Yemen’s conflict began in 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much …

Yemeni sides say deal reached to free nearly 900 prisoners
1 year, 9 months ago

Yemeni sides say deal reached to free nearly 900 prisoners

Associated Press  

CAIRO — Yemen’s warring sides said Monday they agreed to release nearly 900 prisoners of war in a U.N.-brokered deal amid international efforts to end the yearslong conflict. They were detained and sentenced to death in recent years by a Houthi-controlled court in a trial described by Amnesty International as “grossly unfair.” Fadail said the deal also includes the release …

US calls on Yemen’s Houthis to release its local embassy staff
2 years, 7 months ago

US calls on Yemen’s Houthis to release its local embassy staff

Al Jazeera  

US calls on Yemeni rebels to ‘end injustice’ and free current and former employees of the US embassy in Sanaa. The United States has renewed its call for Yemen’s Houthis to release detained US embassy staff after the death of a retired employee of the US Agency for International Development who was in the rebels’ custody. The US embassy in …

Saudi-led coalition sends dozens of freed prisoners to Yemen
2 years, 8 months ago

Saudi-led coalition sends dozens of freed prisoners to Yemen

Al Jazeera  

Coalition says 108 detainees were flown on Friday from Saudi Arabia to the southern Yemeni city of Aden. The Saudi-led coalition engaged in Yemen said has said it transported more than 100 freed prisoners to Yemen in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross in a humanitarian initiative to support a United Nations-brokered truce. The coalition said last …

Yemen: Saudi Arabia to release 163 Houthi prisoners
2 years, 8 months ago

Yemen: Saudi Arabia to release 163 Houthi prisoners

Al Jazeera  

Saudi officials say the move is aimed at solidifying a two-month truce that went into effect in early April. The Saudi Arabian-led coalition fighting in Yemen has said it would release 163 prisoners from Yemen’s Houthi rebel group who fought against the kingdom, as part of a humanitarian initiative. The coalition had already begun taking measures to release the prisoners …

UN condemns seizure of closed US Embassy in Yemen by rebels
3 years, 1 month ago

UN condemns seizure of closed US Embassy in Yemen by rebels

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Security Council on Thursday condemned “in the strongest terms” the intrusion and seizure of the now-closed U.S. Embassy in Yemen’s capital and the detention of dozens of local employees by the country’s Houthi rebels. A statement approved by all 15 members of the U.N.’s most powerful body called for “an immediate withdrawal of all Houthi …

Iran-backed militants storm US embassy in Yemen and seize hostages
3 years, 1 month ago

Iran-backed militants storm US embassy in Yemen and seize hostages

Daily Mail  

The US embassy compound in Yemen has been overrun by Iran-backed Houthi rebels who also took at least 25 Yemeni employees there hostage, the State Department confirmed on Thursday. 'We are concerned that Yemeni staff of the U.S. Embassy in Sana’a continue to be detained without explanation and we call for their immediate release. The embassy has been shut since …

Biden ends U.S. military support in Yemen, rallies State Department diplomats
3 years, 11 months ago

Biden ends U.S. military support in Yemen, rallies State Department diplomats

LA Times  

Declaring “America is back” and promising to restore U.S. alliances around the world, President Biden used his first major foreign policy speech since taking office to lay out a starkly different path from that of his predecessor. Biden also halted a controversial sale of precision-guided weapons to Saudi Arabia, which former President Trump sought to execute in defiance of congressional …

US allows transactions with Houthis as ‘terrorist’ label reviewed
3 years, 11 months ago

US allows transactions with Houthis as ‘terrorist’ label reviewed

Al Jazeera  

Aid groups warn the Trump administration’s designation of Yemeni rebels could trigger famine in the war-torn country. The United States has temporarily stayed a ban on transactions involving Yemen’s Houthi movement as it reviews a decision by former President Donald Trump’s administration to designate the Iran-aligned group as a “foreign terrorist organisation”. The Biden administration has promised to review the …

2 US citizens released by Iran-backed militants in Yemen
4 years, 2 months ago

2 US citizens released by Iran-backed militants in Yemen

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Two Americans and the remains …

Yemen gov’t, Houthis agree to exchange over 1,000 prisoners
4 years, 3 months ago

Yemen gov’t, Houthis agree to exchange over 1,000 prisoners

Al Jazeera  

Yemen’s warring sides agree to exchange more than 1,000 prisoners during UN- Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the Houthi rebels agreed to exchange about 1,000 detainees and prisoners, including 15 Saudis, as part of trust-building steps aimed at reviving a stalled peace process, the United Nations said. Sources familiar with the talks and Houthi-run Masirah TV said the rebels would …

128 Houthi prisoners detained in Saudi Arabia released, flown to Yemen’s Sanna in efforts to end five-year conflict
5 years, 1 month ago

128 Houthi prisoners detained in Saudi Arabia released, flown to Yemen’s Sanna in efforts to end five-year conflict

Firstpost  

Prisoners arrived on three ICRC planes and were met inside the airport by rebel commanders and some family members Sanaa: Some 128 Houthi rebels detained in Saudi Arabia were flown to the Yemeni city of Sanaa and released on Thursday, as efforts to end the five-year conflict gain momentum. The Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen said earlier this week that …

Houthis illegally detaining, torturing women: Yemeni activists
5 years, 11 months ago

Houthis illegally detaining, torturing women: Yemeni activists

Al Jazeera  

Sanaa-based monitor says Houthi rebels are holding dozens of women without trial and often torturing the detainees. Yemen’s Houthi rebels are holding dozens of women without trial and often torturing the detainees and blackmailing their families, activists and a human rights lawyer have told the Associated Press news agency. The group’s founder, Nabil Fadel, said he had received information from …

Yemen’s government to swap hundreds of prisoners with Houthis
6 years, 1 month ago

Yemen’s government to swap hundreds of prisoners with Houthis

Al Jazeera  

Deal expected to cover up to 2,000 pro-government forces and 1,500 Houthis, as warring parties prepare for Sweden talks. Stockholm, Sweden – Yemen’s government has said it has agreed to a large-scale prisoner swap with its adversaries, the Houthi rebels, as part of a “confidence-building measure”, suggesting the warring sides could come to a ceasefire agreement at peace talks in …

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