UN staffer’s death in custody exposes Houthi ‘political extortion’ in Yemen

Mohammad el-Shami, an employee of the UN Human Rights Office, died in Houthi custody more than a month before his family was notified. The rebel group, which controls much of northern Yemen, had arbitrarily detained him since June 2024. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for a prompt, transparent and independent investigation, while Secretary-General António Guterres demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all detained personnel. The Houthis have repeatedly accused detained UN and NGO workers of spying.