UN demands probe into death of staff member in Houthi custody
UN demands probe into death of staff member in Houthi custody The United Nations on Saturday condemned the "heartbreaking" death of one of its employees in Houthi custody in Yemen and demanded an urgent investigation. Mohammad al-Shami, a staff member of the UN Human Rights Office in Yemen, had been "arbitrarily held" by the Houthis since June 2024, the UN said in a statement. According to his…
The United Nations has called for an urgent investigation into the death of one of its employees, Mohammad al-Shami, who was held in custody by the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Al-Shami, a staff member of the UN Human Rights Office in Yemen, had been arbitrarily detained by the Houthi authorities since June 2024, according to the UN.
His family was only recently informed that he had died more than a month ago, but no explanation for his death has been provided. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk expressed grave concern for the safety and well-being of other UN personnel who remain detained by the Houthis and demanded full transparency from the group, as well as an independent and thorough investigation into al-Shami's death.
The prime minister of the internationally recognized Yemeni government, Shaya al-Zindani, also condemned al-Shami's death and the continued detention of UN and humanitarian staff, stating that the Houthi group bears full responsibility.
Written by urgent.news from Middle East Eye's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
