UN demands investigation after staff member dies in Houthi custody

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has called for an urgent investigation into the death of Mohammad el Shami, a staff member at the UN Human Rights Office in Yemen who died after being arbitrarily held by the Houthis since 6 June 2024.

Shami's family said he had died more than a month ago but was only recently informed. Türk said the family had received no explanation of the cause or circumstances of his death and demanded that Houthi authorities disclose all relevant medical and detention records, preserve evidence and submit to independent scrutiny. "There must be accountability for wrongdoing," Türk said, describing Shami's death as a "heartbreaking loss" for the UN.

Türk said he remained gravely concerned for seven additional colleagues from his own office still in detention, along with other detained humanitarian and civil society workers, and appealed for their immediate and unconditional release.

Yemeni Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani condemned the death and said the Houthis bear full responsibility. He added that more than 70 UN staff members and dozens of humanitarian workers remain in Houthi custody.

In June 2024, the Houthis announced arrests of people they accused of belonging to a US-Israeli spy network in Yemen.

The Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have launched a renewed offensive in Yemen in recent months, seizing territory as fighting with the country's internationally recognised government has intensified. Neighbouring Saudi Arabia has carried out strikes against the group, prompting the Houthis to launch missiles and drones at Saudi cities and shipping and to declare a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia in July. A Houthi strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport last month left 13 people dead and more than 300 injured, according to Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation.