Yemen government, Houthis strike prisoner swap deal after months of talks

The Yemeni government, a delegation from the Arab Coalition, and representatives of the Houthi movement have reached an agreement to exchange around 1,750 prisoners from both sides, including 27 members of the Arab Coalition, following months of negotiations in Amman.

In a statement, the delegation said the agreement represents the first phase of a broader “all-for-all” prisoner exchange deal covering all detainees, which was initially reached during negotiations that began in the Omani capital Muscat on December 11, 2025, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The statement noted that the government delegation held a month-long round of negotiations in Muscat before shifting to indirect discussions in Riyadh, focused on establishing technical and procedural mechanisms for exchanging detainee lists and strengthening mutual understandings between the parties.

It added that Amman later hosted a 90-day round of direct consultations from February 5 to May 6, 2026, during which the sides engaged in extensive and complex negotiations marked by significant obstacles and repeated challenges.

The delegation said the talks were conducted with a “high sense of national and humanitarian responsibility,” emphasising that the return of detainees to their families was treated as the overriding priority.

It further stated that the negotiations concluded with the signing of detainee lists and implementation procedures, describing the outcome as a meaningful breakthrough in one of Yemen’s most sensitive humanitarian files.

The statement also commended the efforts of the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Yemen and the International Committee of the Red Cross for their role in facilitating and supporting the process.

The delegation concluded by saying the agreement “does not represent a victory for one side over another, but rather a victory for the human being who has suffered for so long,” and pledged to continue efforts toward full implementation until the last detainee is released and reunited with their family.

By Jeyhun Aghazada