Yemen's Houthi group unilaterally released 112 detainees in the Houthi-held Yemeni capital Sanaa on Sunday, the Houthi-controlled Yemeni News Agency SABA reported.

At a press conference in Sanaa attended by the released prisoners on Sunday, Abdul Qader al-Murtada, head of the Houthi Prisoner Affairs Committee, said the decision to release the detainees was made a few days ago by Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi.

"The Houthis carried out a unilateral humanitarian initiative and released 112 people captured on the front lines. Most of them are in humanitarian situations, including the sick, the wounded, and the elderly," the Houthi official said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Sanaa said it had conducted private pre-departure interviews with the detainees to confirm their identities.

The ICRC noted that the latest release, as well as the previous ones in 2023 and 2020, is a positive step towards reviving negotiations between the Yemeni government and the Houthis.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed internationally-recognized government out of Sanaa.

Over the years, the UN has been making efforts to release all detainees, mostly political opponents, human rights activists and journalists, and reach a political settlement between the Yemeni warring parties.

In April 2023, nearly 900 prisoners were released following UN-sponsored negotiations between the Yemeni government and the Houthi group. High-profile figures, including Nasser Mansour Hadi, the brother of former Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, and Mahmoud Al Subeihi, the country's former defense minister, were among those who were freed.

SHOTLIST:

Sanaa, Yemen - May 26, 2024
1. People on square, press conference setup;
2. Various of people attending press conference;
3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abdul Qader al-Murtada, director, Houthi Prisoner Affairs Committee (starting with shot 2):
"The Houthis carried out a unilateral humanitarian initiative and released 112 people captured on the front lines. Most of them are in humanitarian situations, including the sick, the wounded, and the elderly.";
4. Various of people attending press conference;
5. Various of released detainees hugging others, crying, having interview.

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