Amnesty International has condemned the Houthi de facto authorities for their ongoing detention of UN and humanitarian organization staff in Yemen.
The crackdown, which began with raids across Sana’a, Hodiedah, and Hajjah early last month, has resulted in the arbitrary detention of at least 27 individuals. Among those detained are 13 UN staff and 14 members of local and international civil society organizations, including women and men who have been held incommunicado without access to legal counsel or contact with their families.
“This chilling wave of arrests targeting the human rights and humanitarian community is yet another stark reminder of the lengths the Houthi authorities will go to in their crackdown on civil society,” remarked Diala Haidar, Yemen Researcher at Amnesty International. The raids, which included extensive searches and confiscations of personal and work-related items, have further deteriorated the humanitarian and human rights situation in Yemen, where many of those detained were actively involved in providing aid and protection to vulnerable populations.
Amnesty International has called for the immediate release of all detained individuals and an end to the Houthi authorities’ crackdown on freedom of expression and association. Concerns have been raised about the potential use of torture to extract confessions from detainees, echoing past incidents where forced confessions were broadcasted, undermining the detainees’ rights.
The Houthi authorities have a history of targeting humanitarian and human rights workers, with several cases of arbitrary detention and incommunicado confinement documented since 2021. Restrictions on movement and bureaucratic hurdles imposed on aid delivery continue to exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, despite international calls for unhindered humanitarian access.
Amnesty International’s appeal underscores the urgent need for global attention and action to address the escalating human rights abuses in Yemen, exacerbated by the actions of the Houthi de facto authorities.
