UN rights chief demands Houthis return body of staff member who died in custody

UN human rights chief Volker Türk has demanded that Houthi authorities return the body of Mohammed al-Shami, a Yemeni UN staff member who died in their custody, and establish how and when he died. His death, disclosed to his family more than a month after it occurred, has renewed concern about the treatment of aid and UN workers detained in Yemen.

Al-Shami had been held since 6 June 2024, and his family says it was denied contact with him for two years. The Houthis have reportedly agreed in principle to an investigation, but have not explained the cause or circumstances of his death. More than 70 UN employees and dozens of humanitarian workers remain detained; Türk’s office also warned that a video appearing to show a detainee confessing raised fears of torture or ill-treatment.