Barran Press
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday, August 16, 2024, called on the Houthi group, internationally designated as a terrorist organization, to immediately evacuate the United Nations Human Rights Office in the capital Sana'a and release all UN and civil society staff.
In a statement published on its website, the international organization stated, "The Houthis must immediately evacuate the (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) premises, release all UN and civil society staff unconditionally, and return all assets and property."
The organization cited an unnamed source who monitors detentions, stating that "as of July 7, the Houthis had detained over 72 people, including 13 UN staff."
HRW considered the "Houthi campaign against UN agencies and civil society offices to be occurring at a time when Yemen desperately needs humanitarian aid, as the country faces devastating crises, with over half the population lacking adequate access to food and water."
The organization also urged the Iranian-backed Houthi group "to fulfill its obligations under international human rights law and provide life-saving services to people living in areas under their control."
On Tuesday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk announced that "de facto authorities affiliated with the Houthi group last week raided the UN Human Rights Office in Sana'a, forcibly seizing documents and property."
Türk considered this to be a violation of the "Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations."
This raid came approximately two months after the Houthi group broadcast footage on June 10 of Yemeni nationals working as UN staff, claiming they had obtained "confessions" from them about engaging in espionage in Yemen.