Yemenupdated 1h ago2 min read
UN Rights Chief Volker Turk Demands Full Transparency After Mohammad El-Shami Dies in Houthi Custody
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Mohammad el-Shami, UN OHCHR Yemen staff, died in Houthi custody; family informed weeks later. Volker Türk calls for independent, prompt investigation and full transparency into death circumstances.
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UN seeks probe
The United Nations demanded an investigation after Mohammad el-Shami, a staff member of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Yemen, died while in Houthi detention. Volker Turk said el-Shami’s family “deserve to know the truth,” and Turk demanded “full transparency” from the Houthi authorities. The UN said el-Shami had been arbitrarily held in Houthi custody since June 2024, when he and more than 60 people working with the UN and other NGOs were detained and accused of being part of an “American-Israeli spy network”.
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “appalled” by el-Shami’s death and said the UN was “urgently seeking answers” from the group about the circumstances of his death. The UN said el-Shami was the second UN staff member to die in Houthi detention, following the death of a World Food Programme staffer in February 2025.
Turk presses for records
Volker Türk demanded an independent investigation into the death of a Yemeni colleague held by the Houthis for more than two years, and Türk said his family learned of his death only weeks after it happened. Türk called on the Houthis to disclose all relevant medical and detention records, preserve evidence and allow independent scrutiny of any stated cause of death, and Türk said, “There must be accountability for wrongdoing.” Türk also expressed grave concern about the UN personnel still being held, including seven colleagues from his own office, and Türk appealed for their immediate and unconditional release.
Hans Grundberg told the Security Council on 9 October that Yemen had “slid back into full-scale war, with hostilities spreading across multiple frontlines”. The UN aid coordination office (OCHA) said more than 22 million people need aid this year, as Türk warned that detaining colleagues undermined the UN’s ability to support the people of Yemen.
Detention numbers and wider risk
The UN said el-Shami’s family was only recently informed of his death, more than a month after it occurred, and the UN said the family had not received any explanation of the cause or circumstances. The UN Human Rights Office said the death marked the second UN staff death while in Houthi custody, after the death of a World Food Programme staff member in February 2025, and the UN said the circumstances of el-Shami’s death remain unclear. Stéphane Dujarric said the death occurred “in circumstances that are still shrouded in mystery,” and Dujarric said the UN was urgently seeking answers from the de facto authorities.
The UN said the Houthis have provided no information about el-Shami’s status or any indication that he remained alive since the detention, despite repeated requests from the United Nations. The UN expressed concern about the safety of 70 UN staff and five former staff members, along with workers in humanitarian organizations and civil society who “continue to be held,” reiterating the call for immediate and unconditional release.