Yemen prisoner exchange talks wrap with focus on political figure

The latest round of talks between the Yemeni government and the Houthi movement to exchange prisoners has concluded, with an increasing focus on a longtime political detainee.

The talks began on Friday in Jordan’s capital Amman under the auspices of the United Nations, which has brokered negotiations and ceasefires between the warring sides.

The government confirmed on Sunday that the latest round of talks ended and would resume after the Eid al-Adha holidays which end in early July.

Notably, sources told Al Jazeera Arabic that the Houthi movement had agreed to begin negotiations on the release of prominent politician Mohammed Qahtan, whom they have held for eight years.

Qahtan was a senior figure in the opposition al-Islah Party, which has links with the Muslim Brotherhood.

He was first put under house arrest by the Houthis in early 2015, shortly after the group led an armed uprising and took control of Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, in September 2014.

In April 2015, Qahtan was taken by Houthi operatives and has disappeared since, with his family and the Yemeni government saying he has been denied meeting anyone over the years since the country’s civil war.

Last year, when the UN started brokering temporary ceasefires and prisoner exchange talks, al-Islah criticised the government for not pushing for Qahtan to be included in the talks with the Iran-backed Houthis.

In mid-April, the Houthis and the Saudi Arabia-backed government engaged in a three-day exchange of prisoners, which ultimately saw close to 900 detainees released.

It was the largest exchange of prisoners since more than 1,000 prisoners were freed in October 2020, signalling a confidence-building measure that boosted hopes in intense diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war that is nearing its nine-year mark.

Nasser Mansour Hadi, the brother of former Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, and former Defence Minister Mahmoud al-Subaihi were among the most recognised figures who were released as part of the exchange.

The first direct flight between Yemen and Saudi Arabia in nearly seven years took off on Sunday, further signalling easing tensions.

Earlier this month, Yemeni government negotiators said they would boycott any further UN-mediated negotiations with the Houthis unless the armed group agrees to discuss the whereabouts of Qahtan and allows his family and government officials to visit him.

The government had previously said the Houthis were unresponsive to repeated appeals by the UN, local and international human rights groups and Qahtan’s family to secure his release.

The Houthis’ reluctance to allow the political figure’s family to visit him had prompted concerns about his health in custody, but it appears he will be a main subject of negotiation during the upcoming talks next month.

The talks between the Yemeni government and the Houthis, which have also seen participation by Saudi officials, gained steam shortly after Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed on a China-brokered deal in March to re-establish formal diplomatic relations.

The move also enabled a flurry of diplomatic activity among regional stakeholders, which among other things has also resulted in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s return to the Arab fold.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud made a visit to Tehran on Sunday, the first by a senior official from the kingdom since the two regional powerhouses cut off ties in 2016.