UN Official Urges Independent Investigation into Detained UN Staff Death in Houthi Custody

NEW YORK CITY: A senior United Nations official pressed the Houthi leadership’s chief negotiator to establish an independent investigation into the death of a UN staff member who died while under Houthi custody.

This escalation occurs as the United Nations intensifies its efforts to secure the release of dozens of its personnel detained by the Iran‑backed Houthi forces in Yemen.

During a visit to Muscat from November 8 to 10, Muin Shreim – head of the UN’s regional outreach on personnel detention – met with senior Omani officials and Mohammed Abdulsalam, who leads the Houthi negotiating delegation in Oman, according to UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq.

The visit was part of the United Nations’ ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure the release of personnel who have been arbitrarily detained by the de facto Houthi authorities, Haq added.

Shreim highlighted the recent death of Mohammed El‑Shami, a Yemeni staff member of the UN Human Rights Office. He emphasized that an independent, transparent, and thorough investigation is essential.

He also urged the Houthis to permit all detained UN staff to communicate with their families as soon as practicable and to maintain regular contact. Shreim stressed that the UN requires reliable information on the safety and health of detainees, particularly those with serious medical conditions, who also need access to necessary medical care, including specialized treatment. He called for the urgent release of any individual whose health required immediate intervention.

Shreim stated that the UN would continue its diplomatic engagement with relevant stakeholders until all of its arbitrarily detained personnel are released.

The Houthis detained El‑Shami on June 6, 2024. The UN announced his death on October 31, but indicated that he actually died more than a month earlier, and his family was only recently informed. The Houthis provided no information regarding his well‑being or any confirmation of his survival while in custody. They failed to disclose a cause of death or the exact date of his passing. A Yemeni government minister alleged that El‑Shami was tortured to death in a Houthi detention facility.

The UN also demanded that the militia return El‑Shami’s body to his family. He was the second UN employee to die in Houthi custody, following a World Food Programme staff member whose death occurred in February 2025.

The United Nations reported that approximately 70 members of its staff, along with former employees and personnel from aid and civil society organizations, remain under Houthi custody. All detained UN staff are Yemeni nationals.

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