A tribal council in Aden has issued a stern warning against including individuals convicted of assassinating Major General Thabet Ju'as in an upcoming prisoner exchange deal with the Houthi militia.
Major General Ju'as, who served as the commander of Al-Anad axis and the 131st Infantry Brigade, was assassinated in late March 2022 by a car bomb that targeted his vehicle in Aden. Security authorities subsequently broadcast confessions from the cell responsible for the assassination, revealing the Houthi militia's involvement and identifying the prominent wanted figure Amjad Khaled as the mastermind.
In November 2024, the Specialized Criminal Court in Aden sentenced five defendants in the assassination case. Two of them, Amjad Khaled and his accomplice Mohammed Al-Maisari, were sentenced to death in absentia. Three others, Mohammed Al-Azani, Renieh Salam, and Abdulkarim Al-Azami, received death sentences and a ten-year prison sentence, respectively.
Recent reports about the potential inclusion of these convicted individuals in a prisoner exchange deal, brokered by the UN and concluded in Amman in May, have sparked widespread condemnation from activists, politicians, and media figures. The tribal council, representing the Radefan tribes to which the late Major General Ju'as belonged, convened in Aden to address these reports.
The council unequivocally rejected any attempt to undermine judicial rulings or circumvent them. They warned all parties involved in facilitating the release of the accused, holding them legally, historically, and tribally accountable for any repercussions. The statement demanded an immediate halt to the exchange, deeming it an act that "legitimizes terrorism and rewards criminals," and insisted on the definitive exclusion of those convicted of assassinations, particularly the killers of Major General Ju'as and his companions, from any prisoner lists.
The tribal gathering issued an urgent and forceful message to the Presidential Leadership Council, the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Interior, the Judicial Authority, the Public Prosecutor, the Governor of Aden, and the Director of Security, demanding immediate clarification and a decisive stance within 24 hours. The Radefan tribes warned that failure to comply would lead to a broad tribal mobilization, holding the relevant authorities fully responsible for all consequences.
Observers agree on the gravity of such an exchange, noting its potential negative impact on security in liberated areas by providing a protective cover for Houthi cells, which have recently intensified their activities. This concern is underscored by recent assassinations carried out by Houthi cells in liberated territories, including the killing of the Executive Director of the Social Fund, Wissam Qaed, in Aden, and journalist Mohammed Ayedha in Mukalla, Hadramaut.
