A British man imprisoned when his child was only a few months old has been released after being detained in Yemen without charge or trial for five years.
Luke Symons, according to Amnesty International, had been held by Houthi rebels in Sanaa, the capital of the civil war-torn country, since his arrest at a security checkpoint in April 2017.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Mr Symons would “soon be reunited with his family” after an ordeal that saw him “allegedly mistreated and put in solitary confinement”.
According to Reuters, Symons was released with his wife and child.
Kevin Brennan, MP for Cardiff West, had campaigned for his constituent’s release and raised his unlawful imprisonment with Boris Johnson at Prime Minister’s Questions in January.
The Labour politician tweeted: “This is terrific news – after five years finally my constituent Luke Symons has been released from captivity.
“Thanks to all at the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) and most of all to Luke’s family for their tireless campaigning.”
In a statement, Mr Truss said: “I am pleased that Luke Symons, who was unlawfully detained, without charge or trial since 2017 in Yemen, has been released.
“Luke was 25 when he was unlawfully detained by the Houthis. His son was only a few months old at the time.”
