The United Nations has demanded an independent investigation into the death of a UN staff member who died while being held by Houthi authorities in Yemen, after his family learned of his death only weeks after it happened.

Mohammad el-Shami, who worked for the UN Human Rights Office in Yemen, had been arbitrarily detained by the Houthi de facto authorities since 6 June 2024. His family say he died more than a month ago but were told only recently, and they have received no explanation of the cause or circumstances of his death.

“They deserve to know the truth”

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for a prompt, transparent and independent investigation, and urged the Houthis to disclose all relevant medical and detention records, preserve evidence and allow independent scrutiny of any stated cause of death.

“Mohammad’s family has not received any explanation of the cause or circumstances of his death – they deserve to know the truth,” Türk said.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the death as an “appalling tragedy” and said the circumstances “remain unclear”. He demanded the immediate release of all detained personnel.

Second UN worker to die in detention

El-Shami is the second UN staff member reported to have died while being held by the Houthis, following the death of a World Food Programme employee in February 2025. The UN said the circumstances raised serious concerns about possible ill-treatment, including the prolonged failure to disclose reliable information about his fate and well-being.

As of mid-October, the UN said 71 of its personnel were in Houthi detention, including seven colleagues from the human rights office, as well as detained humanitarian and civil society workers. Many were seized in a wave of raids in June 2024, when 13 UN staff were detained.

The Houthis have repeatedly accused detained workers of spying, alleging in 2024 that more than 60 UN and aid workers were part of an “American-Israeli spy network”, a claim the UN has rejected.

UN condemns “forced” video statements

The UN also said on Monday that it had serious grounds to believe detained personnel had been forced to make statements on camera while in Houthi custody, and condemned the broadcast of footage showing a human rights office employee making what officials described as a visibly forced statement.

The UN called on the Houthi authorities to provide verifiable information on the whereabouts and health of all detainees, ensure regular contact with their families and provide necessary medical care, including specialist treatment.