UN envoy reveals fresh details on delayed Yemen prisoner swap

SANAA, July 11 (YPA) – UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg revealed new developments on Saturday regarding the prisoner exchange agreement between Sana’a and the Saudi-backed side, confirming renewed commitments from both parties to the deal.

In a statement, Grundberg said he had received assurances over the past 48 hours confirming both sides’ commitment to the May agreement, which provides for the release of more than 1,600 prisoners.

He called on the parties to accelerate efforts to complete the remaining technical and operational arrangements as soon as possible, stressing the importance of fulfilling the commitments they have reaffirmed.

Meanwhile, Abdul Qader al-Murtada, head of the National Committee for Prisoners’ Affairs in Sana’a, accused the opposing side of obstructing the agreement and failing to meet its obligations despite his committee’s full readiness to proceed with implementation according to the agreed timeline.

Al-Murtada said the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross had been informed of Sanaa’s readiness to carry out the exchange, but claimed the other side refused to include the remaining prisoners in its custody, preventing completion of the process.

He also accused the Saudi-backed government of attempting to misrepresent the agreement by overlooking key provisions.

The government announced on Friday the postponement of the prisoner exchange deal, which had been scheduled to begin on Saturday, while calling for amendments to the agreement reached between the two sides on May 14.

AA