UN demands probe into death of staff member in Houthi custody

The United Nations on Saturday condemned the "heartbreaking" death of one of its employees in Houthi custody in Yemen and demanded an urgent investigation. Mohammad al-Shami, a staff member of the UN Human Rights Office in Yemen, had been "arbitrarily held" by the Houthis since June 2024, the UN said in a statement. According to his family, he died more than a month ago, but they were only recently informed. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said no explanation had been given for the death, and demanded "full transparency from the Houthi authorities and an urgent, independent and thorough investigation" into it. Turk also said he was "gravely concerned for the safety and well-being of the other UN personnel who remain detained" and called for their release. The prime minister of the internationally recognised Yemeni government, Shaya al-Zindani, also condemned what he called the "killing" of al-Shami in Houthi prisons, saying in a post on X that the group bore "full responsibility". He described al-Shami's death and the continued detention of UN and humanitarian staff as part of a wider pattern of Houthi violations. "This occurs in tandem with the ongoing siege of the city of Taiz, the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, military escalation, and threats to the security of Yemen and the region," he wrote. UN spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters in New York on October 14 that the Houthis were holding 71 UN personnel. Yemen: I am devastated by the death of Mohammad el Shami, a Yemeni colleague who was arbitrarily detained by the Houthis for years. I call for an immediate investigation into his death. Mohammad’s family deserves to know the truth. https://t.co/DFxpwqiWwv — Volker Türk (@volker_turk) October 31, 2026