Rights Network Condemns Houthi Trial of UN Staff, Demands Protection for Aid Workers
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms has expressed strong condemnation of the Houthi group’s decision to pursue a trial against 43 staff members working for UN agencies and bodies in Yemen. The employees are being falsely accused of espionage on behalf of Israel and connection to the August airstrike that targeted a government meeting in Sana’a.
The Network stated that this escalation constitutes an “aggressive attack” on international humanitarian work in Yemen. It further asserted that the action reveals the Houthi militia’s behavior as that of a “terrorist gang,” attempting to blackmail the United Nations and obstruct the missions of its organizations. The Network added that these accusations are also being used to cover up the militia’s daily crimes against civilians in areas under its control.
The Network emphasized that the charges leveled by the militia against the staff lack any legal or material evidence. They occur within a broader campaign of intimidation and persecution that includes the abduction and detention of international aid workers and the prevention of UN missions from freely carrying out their duties.
The human rights group affirmed that the Houthi action constitutes an international crime, encompassing arbitrary arrest, threat, and defamation of UN institutions. It is considered a blatant violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the rules of International Humanitarian Law, which protect humanitarian workers.
The Network warned that the continued silence of the United Nations and the Security Council encourages the Houthis to intensify their violations without deterrence, thereby threatening the safety of humanitarian workers and potentially leading to a new humanitarian catastrophe for the Yemeni people.
The Network condemned the trials in the strongest terms, calling on the UN Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights to take immediate and decisive action and compel the Houthis to guarantee the safety of all detained UN staff.
Finally, the Network held the Houthi group fully responsible for any psychological or physical harm inflicted upon the employees or their families, and urged the international community to classify this crime as a threat to the international humanitarian order. The organization reiterated its commitment to documenting violations and submitting them to specialized international bodies to ensure accountability and protect humanitarian workers and civilians in Yemen, cautioning that impunity will not last.
