Mohammad el Shami, a staff member of the UN human rights office in Yemen, had been arbitrarily detained by the Houthi de facto authorities since June 6, 2024, and his family says he died more than a month ago, having been told only recently, UN News reported.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called on the Houthis to disclose all relevant medical and detention records and demanded independent scrutiny of any stated cause of death. Yemen’s prime minister condemned the death, held the Houthis fully responsible and called for those responsible to be held accountable; he said more than 70 UN employees and dozens of humanitarian workers remained detained. Yemen’s foreign minister also demanded accountability for the death of the UN worker in Houthi custody, Middle East Eye reported.