Negotiations in Jordan between the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the Houthis concluded Thursday with the signing of a formal agreement to release approximately 1,750 detainees from all parties to the conflict.
The government delegation confirmed the lists include members of the armed forces, security services, military formations, and popular resistance, along with politicians and journalists who spent years in Houthi detention. Among those to be released are 27 Arab Coalition members, including Saudi and Sudanese nationals.
The agreement represents the first phase of a broader deal reached in Muscat in December 2025, which established an “all-for-all” framework for the exchange of all detainees. The final round of talks in Jordan spanned 90 consecutive days (February 5 through May), during which negotiators faced what the delegation described as “serious complications and recurring obstacles” before reaching consensus on the detainee lists and exchange logistics.
A key condition of the agreement is the formation of a joint committee to travel to Sana’a to verify the fate of Mohammed Qahtan, an Islah Party leader who has been detained for 11 years. His case was among the most contentious issues throughout negotiations, as the Houthis have refused to provide any official information about him beyond unofficial leaks suggesting he was killed in a Coalition airstrike in 2015. The verification process, conducted with his family and under ICRC supervision, must be completed before any releases are carried out.
The government delegation reaffirmed its commitment to full implementation, stating that the ultimate goal is to empty the prisons and return all forcibly disappeared persons to their families, in line with directives from the Presidential Leadership Council.
While this deal effectively closes the file on Saudi prisoners held by the Houthis, hundreds of Yemeni detainees, civilian and military, held by both sides of the conflict remain in detention, still waiting to return home.
