UN urges Houthis to release body of staff member who died in custody
UN rights chief Volker Türk has called on Yemen’s Houthis to immediately return the body of UN employee Mohammed Al-Shami to his family and clarify the circumstances of his death.
Key Takeaways
AIUN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Thursday called on Yemen’s Houthi group to immediately hand over the body of UN staff member Mohammed Al-Shami, who died while in their custody, to his family without delay, and to urgently clarify the date, cause, and circumstances of his death, ensuring accountability for those responsible.
According to Al Arabiya, UN Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said in a statement: “It has been two weeks since we learned of the death of our colleague Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Shami while detained by the Houthis, yet his body has not been returned to his family. Our colleague deserves a dignified burial, in accordance with his family’s wishes, who were denied contact with him for two years during his detention.”
The spokesperson noted that videos circulated this week allegedly show “confessions” by another detained colleague from the UN Human Rights Office, pointing out that the public release of such abusive material, clearly obtained under duress, exposes the colleague to defamation and further risks, and causes significant suffering to his family.
She expressed grave concern that this colleague and others detained by the Houthis may have been subjected to torture or ill-treatment to force such statements.
She relayed the renewed call by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk for the immediate and unconditional release of all UN and humanitarian staff, stressing that the Houthis must immediately provide information on the whereabouts and health status of all detainees.
She emphasized the need to allow detainees regular contact with their families and access to necessary healthcare, including specialized care, and to immediately release anyone requiring urgent medical treatment.
Last month, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk revealed that Al-Shami had died more than a month before his family was informed, calling for an urgent, independent, and comprehensive investigation, disclosure of his detention records and medical file, preservation of evidence, and accountability for any violations.