Houthi militia releases prisoners in exchange for military service

The Rasd Organization for Rights and Freedoms has reported that Houthi forces are releasing prisoners in exchange for their participation in combat operations. The releases involve individuals held for criminal offenses—including drug and alcohol-related crimes—as well as debtors in the Ibb, Dhamar, and Sanaa governorates.

According to the human rights organization, these detainees are being sent to active fronts in Taiz, Al-Subayhah, Kahbub, and Bab al-Mandab. The report suggests this practice is a response to the militia's difficulty in recruiting new fighters and the heavy human losses sustained in recent military confrontations.

Rasd described the practice as a dangerous exploitation of the legal and economic vulnerabilities of detainees, turning their desire for freedom or debt relief into a coercive recruitment tool. The organization has called on the United Nations, international human rights bodies, and the International Committee of the Red Cross to investigate these claims and protect detainees from forced recruitment.