UN demands investigation into death in Houthi custody

Mohammad el Shami, a Yemeni employee of the United Nations Human Rights Office, died in Houthi custody, and the UN is demanding an independent investigation into his death. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said el Shami had been detained since June 2024. His family learned of his death more than a month after it occurred, Türk said, and had received no explanation of its cause or circumstances. Türk called for an urgent, thorough investigation and full transparency from Houthi authorities, including access to medical and detention records. He also called for the immediate release of other detained UN personnel, including seven staff members from his office, as well as humanitarian and civil society workers. The cause and circumstances of el Shami’s death have not been established in the reported statements. A Yemeni government minister alleged that he had been tortured to death, but that claim has not been independently verified. Yemeni officials have blamed the Houthis for his death. The Houthis had not commented in the reports. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the death and voiced concern for detained personnel, according to his spokesman,...