Yemeni government calls for urgent international action to save lives of humanitarian workers kidnapped by Houthi militias

The Yemeni government called on the international community, on Tuesday, to take urgent action to save the lives of the abducted and forcibly disappeared relief and humanitarian workers in the prisons of the terrorist Houthi militia.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Human Rights expressed deep concern over the fate of approximately 70 civil activists who were kidnapped by the Houthi militia from their homes in early June 2024, including 5 female activists, more than 18 of whom are UN employees and workers in international organizations, and more than 50 activists from civil society organizations.

He pointed out that these kidnapped persons are still forcibly disappeared until now, and their families have not been able to reach them or know where they are being held, in a flagrant violation of their right to life, freedom and personal security.

The statement said, "The Houthi militia's record of violations showed that it was working to detain the abductees in secret prisons and subjecting them to various forms of torture and cruel, degrading and inhumane treatment, including deprivation of food, medicine and sleep, and placing them in dark places to force them to make statements and confessions that incriminate them."

He added that the militias' violations did not stop there, but were accompanied and followed by the militias' media platforms promoting misleading information that distorts humanitarian work and the humanitarian roles of the kidnapped, including accusing them of spying for Israel and America and targeting social beliefs and values.

He stressed that these serious violations against detainees also affect their families and communities and leave deep psychological effects on their children, explaining that families who fear for the lives of their children live in a state of anxiety and are exposed to great psychological, social and economic suffering.

The statement pointed out that these illegal practices represent a flagrant violation of international human rights law and the Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols, which protect the rights of civilians in armed conflicts.

He also stressed that it represents a flagrant violation of the Universal Declaration, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, and constitutes a serious and grave violation that amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity, requiring that its perpetrators be held accountable before international courts.

The statement called on the media and national, regional and international human rights organizations to shed light on these violations that have crossed all humanitarian and legal boundaries, renewing the call to the United Nations, international mechanisms and the international community, primarily the UN Security Council, to take urgent measures to protect detainees.

He explained that after more than 70 days of their kidnapping without any information about them, there is great concern about their fate and lives, calling on all those concerned with protecting human rights in the world to condemn these violations and exert the necessary pressure for the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees, and to ensure that all those responsible for these crimes are held accountable.

Earlier today, the United Nations announced that Houthi militias had stormed and forcibly seized the UN human rights office in the capital, Sanaa, earlier this month, demanding that they leave the building and return all assets immediately.

“The Houthi de facto authorities sent a ‘delegation’ on 3 August to the OHCHR office in Sana’a, forcing local staff to hand over their property, including documents, furniture and vehicles, as well as the keys to the office,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in a statement published on the UN website.

He added that entering a UN office without authorization and forcibly seizing documents and property are in complete contravention of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, and also constitute a serious assault on the ability of the United Nations to exercise its mandate.

The UN official called on the Houthis to leave the building immediately and return all assets and property, renewing his call for the immediate and unconditional release of the detainees.