UN calls for independent investigation into employee’s death in Houthi custody

The United Nations on Saturday, October 31, condemned the death of one of its employees while he was being held by the Houthis in Yemen and called for an urgent investigation. The employee, Mohammad al-Shami, worked for the UN Human Rights Office in the country and had been detained since June 2024.

In a statement, the UN described his detention as arbitrary and his death as heartbreaking. His family said he had died more than a month before they learned of his death, but that they had only recently been notified. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said no explanation for the death had been provided.

Turk demanded that the Houthi authorities be fully transparent about what had happened to al-Shami. He called for an investigation that would be urgent, independent and thorough. In a separate message posted on X on October 31, he expressed devastation over the death of his Yemeni colleague and said al-Shami’s family deserved to know the truth.

The high commissioner also raised concerns about the other UN employees who remain in detention. He said he was gravely concerned about their safety and well-being and urged their release. His appeal accompanied the UN’s condemnation of al-Shami’s death and its demand for answers from the Houthi authorities.

Shaya al-Zindani, prime minister of Yemen’s internationally recognised government, also condemned the death. Writing on X, he described it as the “killing” of al-Shami in Houthi prisons and said the group bore “full responsibility”. His statement characterised the death as part of a broader pattern of violations by the Houthis.

Al-Zindani linked al-Shami’s death and the continued detention of UN and humanitarian workers to other actions he attributed to the group. He cited the continuing siege of Taiz, attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, military escalation, and threats to security in Yemen and the wider region.

Earlier in October, the UN had reported that dozens of its personnel were in Houthi custody. Speaking to reporters in New York on October 14, UN spokesman Farhan Haq put the number at 71. Turk’s October 31 appeal called for the release of the UN personnel who remained detained.