Yemen Releases 159 Detainees Under General Amnesty

Yemen’s National Committee for Prisoners’ Affairs announced the release of 159 detainees who voluntarily surrendered without fighting, under a general amnesty declared by Yemen’s President Mahdi al-Mashat on September 10, 2026.

Committee Chairman Abdulqader al-Murtadha said that this was the second release under the amnesty, following the release of 323 detainees in Hodeidah on September 15, as well as other releases in Taiz.

Al-Murtadha stressed that the amnesty remains in effect for those who lay down their arms, leave opposing military camps and surrender to Yemeni Armed Forces, but warned it would not continue indefinitely.

He urged those still fighting alongside Saudi forces to surrender and return to their families, saying that the amnesty reflected the authorities’ commitment to reconciliation, national unity and preventing further bloodshed.

He reassured families that efforts to free remaining detainees were continuing through various channels. He added that the committee held hundreds of prisoners captured in recent battles who could be included in future exchanges, along with senior opposing military figures.

Al-Murtadha thanked the International Committee of the Red Cross and officials who helped facilitate the release.

Earlier, President Mahdi Al-Mashat granted a presidential amnesty to all those misled on the western coast fronts who lay down their arms and return to the right path. He directed the local authorities in Hodeidah and Taiz to take the necessary measures to implement the decision.