UN chief condemns death of Yemeni human rights staff member in Houthi custody
The UN Secretary-General expressed condolences, demanded an investigation and reiterated calls for the immediate, unconditional release of detained UN personnel
The United Nations chief has strongly condemned the death of a UN human rights worker, Mohammad el Shami, who died while being held in custody by Houthi forces in Yemen. In a statement, the UN Secretary-General expressed his shock over the incident and demanded a prompt, impartial, transparent, and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding el Shami's death.
El Shami had been detained by the Houthi authorities since June 2024, and the UN had repeatedly asked for information about his well-being, but none was provided. The Secretary-General called for the immediate, unconditional release of all detained UN personnel, including El Shami and other colleagues, stressing that the continued detention of UN staff members is unacceptable and causes immense suffering to them and their families.
He also reiterated his concerns about the safety and well-being of 70 UN personnel, five former UN staff members, and humanitarian and civil society personnel who remain detained.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times - World News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Guterres condemns death of UN staff member in Houthi custody middleeasteye.net
- UN says Yemeni staff member dies in Houthi custody, demands investigation hindustantimes.com
- UN Human Rights staff member dies in Houthi custody after arbitrary detention of two years jpost.com
- Yemeni foreign minister: Probe underway into alleged Houthi use of toxic gases in Taiz english.ajel.sa
- UN demands investigation into death of staff member in Houthi custody news.sky.com
- UN demands investigation after staffer’s death in Houthi custody in Yemen aljazeera.com
