SANA’A, July 24 – The General Council of the Revolutionary Abducted Youth demanded the release of arbitrarily held detainees during a protest Tuesday in front of the Yemeni Cabinet.

Abdulkarim Thua’il, head of the council, said names of the abducted were given to the Yemeni prime minister, the minister of defense, the interior minister and the minister of human rights. He said they have information and statistics about more than 117 detainees.

Thua’il said that two months ago, President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi ordered security departments to release the arrestees within 72 hours.

Prime Minister Mohammed Basindwah also gave orders to release all uncharged detainees. But the security departments paid no attention to these orders, instead suggesting that no abducted detainees were being held in their prisons.

Major General Rajeh Hanash, vice-director of the political security, said there were no detainees in the Political Security Prison. He refused to give further details.

Thua’il asserted that the council has evidence proving that there are arrestees in the Central Security, National Security and the Military Intelligence prisons. He said the former regime, headed by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, still wields considerable power in the country.

“We will never accept that the detainees are to remain held in prisons and will continue protesting until they are all released,” he said.

Nadia Al-Nwairah, wife of the abducted Jamal Al-Dhafiri, said her husband is still in the Political Security Prison, though he hasn’t yet been charged.

Last year, two military vehicles linked to the Central Security Forces captured Al-Dhafiri in front of Adhban Mosque near his house.

The reconciliation government issued Decree 108 in 2012, which stipulated the release of all abducted revolutionary youth.