Yemen’s Houthi rebels release two US citizens in prisoner swap

Oct 14, 2020

The Saudi Arabia-led coalition released more than 240 Houthi prisoners in exchange for the release of two US citizens and the return of the bodily remains of a third American held by the Yemeni rebels.

Humanitarian worker Sandra Loli and businessman Mikael Gidada were released to the United States following negotiations involving Saudi officials. The remains of Bilal Fateen, a dual US-Yemeni citizen who died in Houthi captivity, were also returned.

In a statement today, US national security adviser Robert O’Brien thanked Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud for their assistance in achieving the Americans’ release. O’Brien did not mention the exchange, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal today.

Assurances from the Trump administration led Saudi officials to release the Houthi prisoners, some of whom were stuck in Oman for more than a year after receiving medical treatment under a United Nations peace initiative.

Other Yemenis allowed to return to their country had been Houthi fighters captured by the Saudi-led coalition, according to The New York Times.