The old city of Sana’a, the capital of Yemen, which is under the control of the Houthis. Yemen: UN demands immediate release of world body employees held by de facto authorities UN
Six UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) staff members held by the Houthis in Yemen for three months on “false” charges must be released immediately, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Tuesday.
Speaking on behalf of Türk, OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani “unequivocally” rejected the “false allegations” that one of the staff members was apparently coerced into confessing.
She stressed that a video posted on social media showed an “apparently forced confession.”
17 UN staff members in custody
One woman and five men who worked for OHCHR were arrested on 6 June, along with seven staff members from other UN agencies.
In addition, two OHCHR staff members and two colleagues from other UN agencies have been held incommunicado by the de facto authorities since 2021 and 2023. The number of UN officials arbitrarily detained in Yemen has reached 17.
“Their whereabouts remain unknown, and the de facto Houthi authorities have not allowed physical access to any of them, despite our repeated requests,” Shamdasani said.
Protection of Rights
In cases where staff are accused of violating the law, due process should include access to lawyers and the provision of evidence, she stressed.
“None of this has been done. These are clearly fabricated and trumped-up allegations, and we unequivocally reject them,” the OHCHR spokesperson said.
Shamdasani also reiterated the High Commissioner’s call on the Houthis, who control much of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, after a decade of fighting the internationally recognized government, to “facilitate, rather than hinder, UN agencies and other human rights and humanitarian organizations in their efforts to serve the people of Yemen, including by promoting and protecting their human rights.”
Read also: