The United Nations on Monday accused the Houthis of forcing detained personnel in Yemen to make statements on camera. The international body condemned the militia for broadcasting footage that showed an employee taking part in a visibly forced statement while in custody.
Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, issued a statement on the incident. He said the organisation had serious grounds to believe that individuals held in arbitrary detention faced coercion to speak on camera.
The broadcast took place on November 5. It featured a member of staff from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Haq said the footage exposes the colleague to public vilification and places him at risk, while causing immense distress to his family.
The UN spokesperson called on the Houthi de facto authorities to remove the video from circulation immediately and stop sharing recordings of detained persons.
Haq urged the authorities to ensure the safety and humane treatment of all detained personnel, demanding their immediate and unconditional release.
The condemnation follows another recent incident reported by the UN on October 31. The organisation announced the death of Mohammed El-Shami, a Yemeni employee of the UN human rights office who had been detained by Houthi authorities since June 6, 2024.
The UN stated that El-Shami died more than a month before his family was informed. The exact date and the circumstances of his death are unknown, and his body has not yet been returned to his relatives.
