Yemeni Prime Minister Holds Houthi Militia Responsible for Death of UN Staff Member in Their Detention Centers
Shoaib Al-Zandani holds the Houthi militia responsible for the death of Mohammed Al-Shami and stresses the need to hold those accountable.
Translated by Qiyas from كونا — Original source
Aden, Oct 31 (KUNA) -- Yemeni Prime Minister Shuaib al-Zindani held the Houthi militias fully responsible on Saturday for the death of a United Nations employee detained in their prisons, more than two years after his abduction and enforced disappearance.
In a statement posted on his official account on the X platform, al-Zindani said that Mohammed al-Shami, who worked at the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Yemen, died under mysterious circumstances while held by the Houthi militias. He stressed the need to bring those responsible for this crime to legal accountability.
He added that the continued detention of more than 70 UN staff members and dozens of humanitarian workers reflects a series of violations targeting Yemenis and international and humanitarian organizations.
He pointed out that this incident coincides with the Houthi militia’s ongoing siege of the city of Taiz, attacks on civilians and civilian objects, military escalation, and threats to the security of Yemen and the region.
Al-Zindani emphasized the responsibility of the United Nations and the international community to protect personnel working for international and humanitarian organizations, to exert pressure for the immediate release of all abducted and forcibly disappeared persons, to lift the siege on Taiz, to put an end to Houthi violations, and to respect state sovereignty and its institutions.
Earlier, Yemeni Minister of Human Rights Meshal Omar called in a statement for taking firmer and more effective steps to secure the release of all abducted individuals, to clarify the circumstances surrounding the death of UN employee Mohammed al-Shami, to ensure the handover of his body to his family, and to hold those responsible for the crime accountable.
He clarified that al-Shami’s family was denied visitation or communication with him throughout his detention, which exceeded two years, while the circumstances of his death remain unknown and his body has not yet been returned to his family. He placed full responsibility for al-Shami’s death on the Houthi militias following his abduction and enforced disappearance in their prisons.
The Houthi militia abducted al-Shami, who worked at the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sanaa, on June 6, 2024, and denied him visits and communication as part of a campaign of abductions that has affected dozens of UN staff members, workers in humanitarian organizations, and civil society figures. His family was informed on Saturday of his death and asked to come and collect his body. (End) S.N.S. / M.M.J.
