Arabic version: الأمم المتحدة تطالب بالتحقيق في وفاة موظف أثناء احتجازه لدى الحوثيين
According to Al Jazeera, the United Nations has demanded an investigation after Mohammad el-Shami, an employee of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Yemen, died while in Houthi detention.
The UN said el-Shami died more than a month ago, though his family was informed only recently. The Houthis did not say how he died. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said his family “deserve to know the truth” and called for full transparency from the Houthi authorities.
Turk demanded an urgent, independent and thorough investigation into the death. He also said he was gravely concerned for seven other OHCHR personnel detained alongside el-Shami who remain in custody, again appealing for their immediate and unconditional release.
El-Shami had been held since June 2024, when he and more than 60 people working with the UN and other NGOs were detained and accused of belonging to an “American-Israeli spy network”. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was appalled by the death and that the UN was urgently seeking answers about the circumstances.
El-Shami was the second UN staff member to die in Houthi detention, following the death of a World Food Programme employee in February 2025. The UN paused operations in parts of Houthi-held Yemen in February 2025 over staff safety concerns.
