UN calls for independent probe after staffer dies in Houthi custody

The United Nations has demanded an independent investigation into the death of Mohammad el‑Shami, a human‑rights employee who died while detained by Houthi forces in Yemen.

El‑Shami, who worked for the UN Human Rights Office, was arbitrarily detained in June 2024 after the rebel group seized control of much of northern Yemen. His family were only notified of his death more than a month later.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk urged Houthi authorities in Sanaa to provide a prompt, transparent and independent inquiry, calling for disclosure of medical and detention records and preservation of evidence. UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres also expressed deep sadness and reiterated his call for the immediate release of all detained UN and humanitarian personnel.

The Houthis have repeatedly accused detained workers of espionage, alleging that more than 60 UN and NGO staff detained in 2024 were part of an “American‑Israeli spy network”. Amnesty International reported that, as of February, 73 UN staff and dozens of other humanitarian workers were in detention.

El‑Shami is the second UN staff member to die in Houthi custody, following a World Food Programme employee’s death in February 2025. Yemen’s internationally recognised government has held the militia fully responsible for the abduction, forced disappearance and death.

Local rights groups warn that the Houthis control prisons, medical records and witnesses, with no judicial oversight, making accountability for deaths in custody extremely difficult.

Source: Al Jazeera. Photo: Magda Ehlers / Pexels.