Houthi authorities in Sanaa refer UN and aid-group staff to a specialized prosecution after detaining 69 UN personnel
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Since 31 May 2024 Houthi de facto authorities have detained UN and civil society staff. On 18 December 2025 the UN confirmed 10 more arrests, bringing UN detainees to 69; the Houthis accuse them of spying for the US and Israel, which the UN rejects. Human Rights Watch reported in August 2026 that at least six detainees, including a UN employee and a UNICEF consultant, were transferred to the Specialized Criminal Prosecution in Sanaa, and that many were forcibly disappeared for months and denied adequate access to lawyers, family and medical care. Yemeni procedure law requires referral to prosecution within 24 hours of arrest.
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- Al Jazeera
bringing the total number of UN detainees to 69
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