UN staffer’s death in custody exposes Houthi ‘political extortion’ in Yemen
A UN Human Rights Office employee, Mohammad el-Shami, has died in Houthi detention in Yemen more than a month ago, with his family only recently notified.
The United Nations is demanding a thorough investigation into the death of a human rights employee while in Houthi detention in Yemen. Mohammad el-Shami, who worked for the UN Human Rights Office, died more than a month ago but his family was only recently notified. He had been arbitrarily detained by the rebel group, which controls much of northern Yemen, since June 2024.
His death has highlighted the number of UN and NGO workers targeted by the Houthis, since they captured the capital Sanaa in September 2014. El-Shami is the second UN staff member to die in Houthi custody, following the death of a World Food Programme employee in February 2025.
UN demands investigation
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has urged the Houthi authorities in Sanaa to ensure a prompt, transparent and independent investigation into el-Shami's death.
Houthi accusations
The Houthis have repeatedly accused detained workers of being spies. They accused more than 60 UN and NGO workers detained in 2024, when el-Shami was arrested, of being part of an 'American-Israeli spy network'. The group has routinely arrested civil rights activists, NGO workers and other civilians on espionage allegations.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his dismay and demanded the immediate release of all detained personnel.
Accountability concerns
The Minister of Human Rights for Yemen's internationally recognised government, Meshdal Mohammed, held the militia fully responsible for el-Shami's abduction, forced disappearance and death. Local human rights advocates highlight the severe difficulty of achieving accountability for deaths and other civil rights abuses by the Houthis.
Tawfik Alhamidi, President of SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, outlined the systematic obstacles faced by NGO workers operating in Houthi-controlled territories. He noted that the Houthis control prisons, medical records and witnesses, with no judicial or human rights oversight over places of detention.
Alhamidi stated that many deaths in Houthi custody have been attributed to disease, sudden death or suicide. 'Even if illness is proven, the question remains: Did the detainee also receive medical care, or is there negligence or is there deprivation?' he added.
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