AL-MUKALLA: Yemeni military commander Faisal Rajab was released by the Houthis on Sunday after 8 years in captivity, Arab media reported on Sunday. In a function attended by its leader and other senior officials in Sanaa, the Houthis freed Maj. Gen. Rajab to a group of Yemeni elders from Shabwa, Abyan, and Al-Bayda who had visited the city to request the military commander release.
Yemeni military commander released
Abdulkader Al-Murtada, chief of the Houthis’ prisoner exchange committee, said the Yemeni army commander was pardoned “in honor” of the tribal elders.
Maj. Gen. Rajab, along with ex-defence minister Mohammed Mahmoud Al-Subaihy and ex-intelligence chief Nasser Mansour Hadi, was captured by Houthis near Al-Anad military base in Lahj province in 2015.
Hadi and Al-Subaihy were among 900 prisoners freed two weeks ago during the 2nd prisoner exchange between the warring parties but Rajab was not given his freedom and his family was not permitted to visit him.
The United Nations’ Special Ambassador for Yemen, lauded Rajab’s release and asked both sides to strive for the release of all prisoners in accordance with their promises under the UN-brokered Stockholm deal.
In a statement via twitter, he said, “I welcome the initiative by Ansar Allah to free Gen Faisal Rajab,”.
He further wrote, “I appeal to all parties to build on the progress achieved and also intensify the efforts to free all detainees, based on the “All for all” principle as stipulated in the Stockholm deal.”
UN Envoy: “I welcome the unilateral initiative by Ansar Allah to release Gen Faisal Rajab.I appeal to all parties to build on the progress achieved & intensify the efforts to
release all detainees, based on the “All for all” principle as stipulated in the Stockholm Agreement.”— @OSE_Yemen (@OSE_Yemen) April 30, 2023
