UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the Houthis’ referral of United Nations staff to their special criminal court, his spokesperson announced Tuesday.
“The Secretary-General is gravely concerned about the continued arbitrary detention of 59 United Nations personnel, in addition to dozens of NGO (non-governmental organization), civil society, and diplomatic mission personnel,” spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement quoted by the Xinhua news agency.
The UN said the personnel have been held incommunicado, some for years, without due process, in violation of international law.
“United Nations personnel, including those who are nationals of Yemen, are immune from legal process in respect of all acts performed by them in their official capacity,” the statement emphasized.
The UN called on the Houthis to rescind the referral and act in good faith toward the immediate release of all detained personnel from the United Nations, NGOs, and the diplomatic community.
“The United Nations remains committed to supporting the people of Yemen and delivering principled humanitarian assistance,” the statement concluded.
The Houthis have accused some of the detained UN workers of espionage and collaboration with Israel - allegations that remain unproven.
The group has repeatedly claimed to have captured “Israeli spy networks” in Yemen, though no independent evidence has ever corroborated those claims.
In late November, a Houthi-run court in Sanaa sentenced 18 Yemeni aid workers employed by United Nations humanitarian agencies to death over spying for Israel.
The ruling said the “convicts” will be executed by firing squad in a public place in Sanaa. Two others, including a woman, were handed 10-year prison terms on the same charges.
The sentencing followed Israeli airstrikes in August on Sanaa, carried out in response to Houthi missile and drone attacks toward Israel. The strikes killed dozens of Houthi officials, including 12 “ministers” and the group’s Military Chief of Staff, Muhammad Abd Al-Karim al-Ghamari, who was wounded and eventually succumbed to his wounds.