The United States on Wednesday condemned the Houthis’ ongoing detention of current and former local staffers of the US embassy in Yemen.
In a statement, US State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott described the detentions of the staffers as “unlawful”.
“The Iran-backed Houthis, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, have intensified their campaign of intimidation and abuse against Yemeni citizens affiliated with international organizations and foreign governments,” added Pigott.
“The Houthis’ arrests of those staff, and the sham proceedings that have been brought against them, are further evidence that the Houthis rely on the use of terror against their own people as a way to stay in power. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of the Mission staff,” he concluded.
On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the Houthis’ referral of United Nations staff to their special criminal court.
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 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.