On 17/10/2020, Al-Thawra Newspaper issued in Yemen, reported that the prisoner exchange deal had been concluded by exchanging 670 prisoners for 400 Hadi’s followers. On Wednesday and Thursday 14 and 15/10/2020, a prisoner exchange took place between the warring parties in Yemen for six years.
While it appeared later that the Houthis released two Americans whose conditions of their detention were concealed, “The United States welcomes the release today of U.S. citizens Sandra Loli and Mikael Gidada from Houthi custody in Yemen,” national security adviser Robert O’Brien said in a statement and Bilal Fateen, whose remains will be repatriated as well.” (AP News, Al-Jazeera, 15/10/2020). “In a statement, the US state department welcomed the release of Ms Loli and Mr Gidada, and extended its condolences to the family of Mr Fateen. US national security adviser Robert O’Brien thanked Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman and King Salman of Saudi Arabia for their assistance, and credited President Donald Trump for his support.” (BBC, 15/10/2020). We do not know whether we should congratulate the families of the detainees for the return of their children to them, or to question what was given in exchange for releasing the Americans, who threaten them with the slogan of death morning and evening? Why were some prisoners excluded from the exchange process, when dozens of prisoner exchanges took place, according to their status to each party?!
The pictures and the news revealed the ill-treatment of prisoners by both sides. From starvation, beatings and torture. The two parties did not take into account the rulings of prisoners in Islam, such as being kind, giving adequate food, treatment of the wounded, and not to harm them!
Islam forbids, with the strictest prohibition, the shedding of Muslim blood by Muslims, and the detention of thousands of them in prisons, and afflicting them with forms of oppressive torment and transgression.
It seemed that the prisoner exchange process was nothing but a move on the chessboard that neither the Houthis nor Abd Rabbo had anything to do with. Since the two real international parties to the conflict in Yemen – America behind the Houthis and Britain behind Abd Rabbo – are the ones working to achieve their interests in Yemen. Britain is shedding the blood of the people of Yemen to maintain its political influence throughout Yemen after the Houthis expanded from Saada to Sana’a, and to restrict the arms of the American movement in the south, while America is doing its utmost with the same blood to install and expand its political influence in Yemen and remove the influence of the British from it, even by fragmenting it!
O both parties to the local conflict in Yemen: Just as you brought joy to the hearts of the families of the prisoners, bring joy to the hearts of the people of Yemen by stopping the fighting between you immediately and expel the influence of Britain and America from your good land by restoring the Islamic ruling and establishing its state; The Khilafah Rashidah (rightly guided Caliphate) on the method of Prophethood.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اسْتَجِيبُواْ لِلّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُم لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ
“O you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life” [Al-Anfal: 24]
Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Yemen
Sunday, 01st Rabii’ I 1442 AH
18/10/2020 CE
No: HTY- 1442 / 02