Barran Press
The Houthis, a group designated as a terrorist organization , have arrested a Dutch embassy employee and a prominent education official in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, according to media sources on Thursday, July 4th, 2024.
Journalist Fares Alhemyari, a correspondent for China's Xinhua News Agency in Yemen, reported that the Houthis detained Yemeni national Akram Al-Akhali, the senior international development policy officer at the Dutch Embassy in Yemen.
Alhemyari posted on X (formerly Twitter) a tweet, seen by Barran Press. stated that Al-Akhali was arrested after his home in Iran Street, Hada (southwest of Sana'a), was raided. He added that the Houthis "refuse to disclose the reasons for Al-Akhali's arrest, reveal his location, or allow him to communicate with his family."
Earlier, Alhemyari cited an informed source who said the Houthis had also arrested Ahmed Hussein Al-Nono, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for the Curriculum Sector in the Sana'a government (not recognized internationally), following a raid on his home in the capital.
Al-Nono is a prominent figure in Yemeni education, having held various positions in the Higher Examinations Committee over the past decades and having overseen the issuance of secondary school certificates for generations of students.
Following the Houthis' takeover of the capital, Al-Nono continued his work in Sana'a and became a leading figure in education loyal to the group.
In early June, the Houthis, designated as a terrorist organization globally, launched a wave of arrests targeting employees of international and UN organizations working in Sana'a and areas under their control.
On June 24th, 2024, Minister of Human Rights and Legal Affairs Ahmed Arman accused the Houthis of "continuing their campaign of arrests against aid workers from international, UN, and local organizations in Sana'a."
Arman stated that the number of detainees exceeded 70, including employees of UN agencies, international and local organizations, and five women.
The Houthis have not commented on the recent arrests.