Forced recruitment of around 1,000 prisoners by the Houthi Militia in Sanaa, in preparation for a military display – Details
While the group claims that it will join the fighting to defend Gaza and liberate Palestine, the Houthi militia forcibly recruited about 1,000 prisoners in the abducted capital Sanaa and its outskirts, who were involved in various cases. They were compelled to participate in an armed demonstration recently held in Al Sabeen Square, under the banner of graduating from the first open military courses.
Informed sources in Sanaa spoke to the “Middle East” newspaper about the group enlisting approximately 1,000 detainees after bargaining operations with prisons in the city of Sanaa and its outskirts, to participate in the armed display, paving the way to deploy them and other prisoners on various fronts.
This move followed the execution of Houthi leaders, led by the imposter Attorney General Mohammed Al-Dailami, a few days ago visiting the central prison in the outskirts of Sanaa and issuing instructions to release those he met, in exchange for joining the ranks of the group, undergoing ideological courses, and participating in military displays and fronts of combat.
Abdullah, a pseudonym from relatives of a released detainee from the outskirts of Sanaa, confirmed to the Middle East that deals were made by Houthi leaders with the families of prisoners and detainees, including his family, to release their relatives in exchange for joining the group.
Abdullah, who comes from the Bani Matar region west of Sanaa, accused the Houthi group of exploiting the ongoing events in the Gaza Strip and capitalizing on it by blackmailing hundreds of arbitrarily detained protesters and others, by releasing them on condition of joining its military formations.
Houthi bartering did not only target detainees in the outskirts of Sanaa but also extended over the past two weeks to more than 900 prisoners and detainees in the central prison in the city of Sanaa, and in the war prison and the Houthi security and intelligence prisons, as well as in detention and police stations in the abducted capital.
According to sources, the targeting of detainees for recruitment came according to directives issued by the group’s leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, and was carried out and directly supervised by the Houthi leader Al-Dailami, appointed as the Attorney General.
As part of its efforts to compensate for the numerical shortage of its fighters, the group previously launched extensive recruitment campaigns against hundreds of prisoners and detainees in various areas under its control. They were granted amnesty, and their cases were resolved on the condition of their participation in the fighting with the group.
Among these deals, the management of the central prison in the city of Ibb concluded two deals with about 85 prisoners, some of whom were detained on charges of murder, robbery, and other crimes. They were released in exchange for joining the fighting fronts.
