Former Marine Held by Yemeni Rebels Since 2015 Is Freed

A former Marine detained in Yemen for more than a year was released Sunday after diplomatic negotiations, senior American officials said.

The detainee, Wallead Yusuf Pitts Luqman, 37, was abducted in April 2015 as he tried to leave the country after having taught English there for two years. He was then held in secret by the Houthis, a Shiite rebel group.

An official said the Houthis had cleared him of wrongdoing in August before finally acknowledging that they were holding him, a key step in getting him home. He was flown to Oman after negotiations involving Secretary of State John Kerry.

Last month, Mr. Luqman’s wife, Jihan Mohamed, went public with her husband’s abduction, hoping the move would help free him. She said members of the Houthi political security organization, one of Yemen’s two security agencies, had been holding her husband.

“They had no reason to take him, and there are no charges,” Ms. Mohamed said in a Facebook posting. “After months of not knowing his condition or where he was, I finally received proof of life this year.”

Read More- New York Times

Image courtesy of AFP