UN demands investigation after staffer dies in Houthi custody in Yemen
The United Nations has demanded an investigation into the death of an employee in Houthi detention in Yemen. The deceased, Mohammad el-Shami, was a staff member of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Yemen.
The UN said in a statement on Saturday that el-Shami died more than a month ago, but his family was only recently informed.
The Houthis did not say how he died. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said his family deserve to know the truth.
The human rights chief also demanded full transparency from the Houthi authorities. He demanded an urgent, independent and thorough investigation into el-Shami's death.
El-Shami had been arbitrarily held in Houthi custody since June 2024. At that time he and more than 60 people working with the UN and other NGOs were detained and accused of being part of an 'American-Israeli spy network'.
Turk said he is also gravely concerned for the seven other OHCHR personnel who were detained alongside el-Shami and are still being held. He appealed again for their immediate and unconditional release.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a separate statement on Saturday that he was appalled by el-Shami's death. He also echoed Turk's calls for an investigation.
Guterres added that the UN is urgently seeking answers from the group about the circumstances of his death.
El-Shami is the second UN staff member to die in Houthi detention. Before him, a World Food Programme staffer died in the same way in February 2025.
A total of 72 UN staffers and NGO workers, including el-Shami, have been detained by the Houthis.
The UN paused operations in parts of Houthi-held Yemen in February 2025 over concerns for the safety of its employees. The Iran-backed group has previously paraded some detainees on television channels, presenting them as collaborators with Western intelligence agencies and Israel.
On October 6, the UN announced that a World Food Programme employee had been released after being arbitrarily detained by the group.
