The United Nations has renewed its demands for the immediate and unconditional release of 13 staff members detained by Houthi rebels in Yemen for two months. The detainees, including six staff from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, were seized on trumped-up spying charges, according to the UN.
UN High Commissioner Volker Turk condemned the storming of the UNHCR’s office in Sana’a by Houthi forces, calling it a “serious attack” on the UN’s ability to perform its mandate. The detained staff are being held incommunicado, and Turk warned that their human rights must not be violated.
The US has also condemned the targeting of UN staff, rejecting the spying allegations as “baseless” and “disinformation”. The Houthi rebels have been accused of seeking to shift blame for their own failures onto the US and other outside actors.
The UN has suspended operations in Sana’a and other Houthi-controlled areas, shifting its work to other parts of Yemen. The detained staff are being held without justification, and their release has been demanded by top UN officials, including Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
