Hundreds of Houthis were released as part of a prisoner swap between the Houthis and the Yemeni government, part of wider negotiations that are continuing between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis to find a deal to end the conflict, which began in 2014. More than 800 captives from both sides were set free, a breakthrough that left numerous families shedding tears of happiness.
“Torture in prison included solitary confinement, humiliation, deprivation, beating with cables and clubs, and being electrocuted,” newly-released Majed Albazili told Al Jazeera. “It was torture that I could not even imagine.” Another recently released prisoner, Gamal Buhaibeh, said, “being deprived of adequate exposure to the sun intensified the suffering of prisoners. Because of that, our immunity weakened. Skin-related diseases, anemia, and tuberculosis began spreading.”
The United Nations and human rights organizations have accused the Houthis of suppressing critics and opponents, severely limiting free speech in Sanaa since the group’s takeover in September 2014. The Iran-allied Houthis have denied a policy of torturing prisoners, and have defended themselves by arguing that detainees have often been found guilty of working with the Saudi-led coalition, which began air raids in Yemen in March 2015, in support of the UN-recognized Yemeni government. Yemeni government officials have previously called allegations of torture in prisons “exaggerated.”
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