UN Rejects Houthi Claims of 'Espionage' by Its Aid Workers

The UN Human Rights Commissioner urged the Iran-backed Houthis to release detained UN staff and other aid workers 'immediately and unconditionally.' Volker Turk on Tuesday, June 11, also rejected the Houthi claims that the detained UN workers were part of a spy network. The Houthis claimed on Monday that those arrested by the group were part of a 'US and Israeli espionage network' operating under the guise of international organizations. Turk described these accusations against UN staff as unjust and expressed deep concern for their conditions of detention. The Houthis have detained several UN staff and aid workers, with the UN and aid groups announcing late last week that the Iran-backed rebels had coordinated the arrest of over dozens of aid workers, many of whom were UN employees. The Houthis, engaged in a prolonged civil war with the legitimate Yemeni government, have not specified how many individuals they have arrested. However, Turk detailed in his statement that 13 UN personnel, including six of his own staff, have been detained. He emphasized the critical importance of ensuring that detained individuals are treated with full respect for human rights and dignity and that they can contact their families. He insisted that access to the detained colleagues must be granted as soon as possible. The 'Miyoun' human rights organization in Yemen announced on Tuesday that at least 18 Yemeni aid workers have been kidnapped in four areas controlled by the Houthi rebels. According to the Human Rights Watch, the Houthis have kidnapped and tortured hundreds of civilians, including UN and NGO staff, since the Yemen conflict began in 2014. Turk noted that two of the organization's staff had previously been detained by the Houthis in August 2023 and November 2021. He pointed out that his office has been active in Yemen since 2012 to promote and support the rights of all Yemeni people, including through engagement with legitimate authorities. This UN official stressed that 'any further targeting of human rights staff in Yemen must stop immediately.' Earlier, on June 9, Yemeni government officials told Reuters that during a raid by Iran-backed Houthi security forces, nine UN staff, three staff from the National Democratic Institute (NDI), and three staff from a local human rights group were detained. According to this report, the Houthi security forces raided the homes and offices of these individuals, seizing their phones and computers. The Iran-backed Houthis, who control the Yemeni capital and most populous regions of the country, have recently begun attacking vessels linked to Israel in the Red Sea, claiming to support the Palestinian people against Israeli attacks. The scope of these attacks has since expanded to other vessels.