UN says family has not received body of worker who died in Houthi custody

Mohammad el Shami, a Yemeni employee of the UN human rights office, died while in Houthi custody after more than two years of detention, the UN has said. Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an immediate, impartial and thorough investigation.

The UN says El Shami had been arbitrarily detained since 6 June 2024. UN human rights chief Volker Türk said information from the family indicated that he had died more than a month before Türk’s statement on 31 October, but that his family had only recently been informed.

The family had received no explanation of the cause or circumstances of his death, Türk said. Guterres said the circumstances remained unclear and that the UN was urgently seeking answers from the Houthi authorities.

Despite repeated requests, the authorities had provided neither information about El Shami’s wellbeing nor proof that he was alive during his detention, according to the secretary-general’s office. Türk called for an independent investigation, the release of relevant medical and detention records, and the preservation of evidence.

Guterres said El Shami was the second UN staff member to die in Houthi detention, following the death of a World Food Programme employee in February 2025. In his 31 October statement, he said 70 UN personnel, five former staff members and workers from humanitarian and civil society organisations remained detained, and called for their immediate and unconditional release.

Reuters reported that there was no immediate comment from the Houthis. The group has previously alleged that detainees belonged to a spy network working for the United States and Israel, and has accused humanitarian organisations of providing cover for intelligence activities without presenting evidence.

Update

UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric initially told reporters on 5 November that he believed the family had received el Shami’s body, but later corrected the record. Yemen’s human rights minister had said on 31 October that it had not been handed over, according to Anadolu news agency. [5] [8]

El Shami, a Yemeni employee of the UN Human Rights Office, had been held by the Houthis since 6 June 2024. The UN says his detention was arbitrary. [2]

Asked how long had passed between el Shami’s death and the UN being informed, Dujarric said: “I think it was a few weeks.” He added that the organisation was not receiving the details it needed. He did not know whether an autopsy had been carried out.