UN seeks independent inquiry into employee’s death in Houthi custody

The United Nations has called for a thorough investigation after Mohammad el-Shami, an employee of its Human Rights Office, died in Houthi detention in Yemen. His death occurred more than a month before his family was recently informed. El-Shami had been arbitrarily detained since June 2024 by the group, which controls much of northern Yemen.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk urged the Houthi authorities in Sanaa to conduct an independent inquiry that is both prompt and transparent. He said el-Shami’s relatives had received no explanation of how or why he died. Turk called for access to medical and detention records, the preservation of evidence and independent examination of any explanation given for the death, along with accountability for wrongdoing.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed shock and sorrow over the death and renewed his demand for the immediate, unconditional release of detained personnel. His concerns extended to current and former UN employees, as well as people working for humanitarian and civil society organisations who remain in custody.

El-Shami’s death has brought renewed attention to the detention of UN and nongovernmental organisation workers since the Houthis seized Sanaa in September 2014. The group regularly accuses detained workers of espionage. More than 60 UN and NGO workers arrested in 2024, the year el-Shami was detained, were accused of belonging to what the Houthis described as an American-Israeli spying network. Civil rights activists and other civilians have also faced arrests on spying allegations.

According to Amnesty International, 73 UN employees and dozens of other humanitarian workers were being held as of February 2026. El-Shami is the second UN employee to die in Houthi custody. A World Food Programme staff member died while detained in February 2025.

Meshdal Mohammed, human rights minister in Yemen’s internationally recognised government, blamed the Houthis for el-Shami’s abduction, enforced disappearance and death. He called for a serious reassessment of how the detentions are being addressed, citing the prolonged captivity of civil rights workers and the announcement of el-Shami’s death without his family having been allowed to visit or learn about his condition.

Tawfik Alhamidi, president of the SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, told Al Jazeera that accountability faces major obstacles because the Houthis control detention facilities, medical records and witnesses. He said prisons lack judicial or human rights oversight, and withholding information could hinder an examination of a death. Alhamidi said many deaths of Yemenis in custody had been attributed to illness, sudden death or suicide. He maintained that the authorities remain responsible regardless of the stated cause, including for whether detainees received medical care or suffered neglect.