The United Nations renews its call for the immediate and unconditional release of its employees kidnapped by the Houthi militias

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights renewed its call on Tuesday for the immediate and unconditional release of UN staff and all human rights and humanitarian workers detained in Yemen by the Houthi de facto authorities "without legal protection."

Next Friday will mark three months since the Houthis detained six UNHCR staff, including one woman and five men, along with seven other UN staff in Yemen on “trumped-up allegations,” according to UNHCR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.

The de facto authorities arrested four more UN staff members between 2021 and 2023, bringing the total number of UN staff arbitrarily detained in Yemen to 17.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva on Tuesday, Shamdasani said their whereabouts remained unknown and that the Houthi de facto authorities "have not allowed physical access to any of them, despite our repeated requests."

“We call on the de facto authorities in Sana’a to facilitate, not obstruct, UN entities and other humanitarian and human rights actors in their efforts to serve the Yemeni people, including in promoting and protecting their rights,” she added.

The de facto authorities had accused the six UN High Commissioner for Human Rights employees who were arrested on June 6 of “collaborating” with the CIA and Israel’s Mossad.

In response to questions from journalists, the spokeswoman for the commission confirmed that the videos circulating on social media of her colleagues were “essentially forced confessions.” She said that this kind of “completely false accusations in this context are particularly worrying.”