YEMEN Press Agency

Saudi Arabia releases 7 Yemenis, after Awaji’s arrival in Riyadh

SANAA, Jan. 31 (YPA) – After the release of the Saudi prisoner Musa Awaji by Sanaa government and his arrival in Riyadh on an ICRC plane, Saudi Arabia on Thursday released seven Yemeni prisoners under the United Nations auspices.

The move represented a breakthrough towards further steps to implement the prisoner exchange agreement signed in Sweden consultations and what had been agreed upon in Jordan meeting between the National Salvation government and Riyadh-backed delegation.

UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths welcomed the move, which he considered positive since the beginning of the conflict, pointing that this small swap would give impetus for accelerating the implementation of the prisoner exchange agreement signed in Sweden last December.

Abdul-Qader al-Mortada, chief of the national committee for prisoners’ affairs, said that seven Yemeni prisoners had been in custody of Saudi regime were transferred via an ICRC aircraft to Sanaa International Airport. He thanked the efforts of the UN envoy and all those who contributed to facilitating this process.

On Tuesday, the patient Saudi prisoner Awaji was transferred to his country via an ICRC plane, after his release on an initiative by Leader of the Revolution Sayed Abdulmalik al-Houthi.

 

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