Yemen : Houthis Refer UN Staff , NGO Workers to Specialized Court in Sana’a

Sana’a — Houthi authorities have referred at least 6 detainees to the Specialized Criminal Prosecution in the capital, including a United Nations employee, a consultant working with the UN, and 3 individuals previously employed by international and local NGOs, according to Human Rights Watch.

The organization said in a statement that the referral, made on August 23, marks the latest development in a campaign of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance targeting dozens of UN staff and civil society workers since May 2024.

Among those referred is Dr. Ali al-Mudhwahi, a consultant for UNICEF and advisor to the Houthi-run Ministry of Public Health and Population. 

His wife, Safiya Mohammed, told HRW that he had informed her by phone of being subjected to solitary confinement, torture, and severe psychological pressure. 

She said the Houthis attempted to coerce him into confessing that vaccines were “spy tools” and that he was recruited as a “WHO agent.”

HRW documented the detention of dozens of UN and humanitarian staff since June 2024, noting that most were arrested without warrants and many were forcibly disappeared for months. 

The group reported that detainees were denied access to lawyers, family contact, and medical care, with some suffering from serious health conditions.

Under Yemen’s Code of Criminal Procedure, detainees must be brought before prosecutors within 24 hours of arrest, and prosecutors must decide within the next 24 hours whether to proceed or release them. 

HRW stressed that prolonged detention without prompt judicial review violates basic legal safeguards and Yemen’s obligations under international human rights law.