After the release of a foreign detainee… Is the Houthi militia seeking to bargain with the prisoners?

After the British Foreign Office announced the release of a number of British detainees named Luke Simmons, who had been illegally detained without charge or trial since 2017 in Yemen by the Houthis, following extensive Saudi efforts.

Simmons had been detained by the Houthis for 5 years, accused of spying for Britain. He had not been charged during his years in detention. He was subjected to various forms of torture and even had his arm broken during an interrogation; his mental and physical health deteriorated in his solitary confinement, according to his family.

Sana’a Prison

Observers believe Houthi will use the foreign detainee card to pressure the international community to meet their demands.

Observers say Houthi’s exploitation of foreign detainees comes after international outrage over the militia’s violation of any truce.

The Houthi militia has a black record of abducting and detaining foreigners since it overran the capital Sana’a on 21 September 2014, turning it into a large prison for not only Yemenis, but foreigners.

Torture in Houthi prisons

According to informed sources, the Houthi attacks and torture include many methods, including threatening detainees with their families, physical torture through beatings and electric shocks, leading to permanent disabilities with devastating health effects, as well as the death of dozens of abductees due to torture by beatings on the head and burns.

A former detainee in Houthi prisons said: The militia practiced all kinds of torture and cruel punishments. During the investigations, we were tied up, our eyes tied up, and suddenly we were beaten with heavy weapons on our heads or lower limbs. Some were overcome with pain, and they poured cold water on us and continued to beat us.

He continued: “The most brutal methods were to use a steel iron rod to break the bones of our lower limbs and hands”.

Another detainee said: “Beating was much easier than electrocuting, as Houthi elements stun detainees with some body parts, especially sensitive ones, until they completely lose their job”.