The United Nations has demanded an investigation into the death of an employee in Houthi detention in Yemen.
Mohammad el-Shami, a staff member of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Yemen, died more than a month ago, but his family was only recently informed, the UN said in a statement on Saturday.
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The Houthis did not say how he died, but his family âÂÂdeserve to know the truthâÂÂ, said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk.
The human rights chief also demanded âÂÂfull transparencyâ from the Houthi authorities and an âÂÂurgent, independent and thorough investigationâ into el-ShamiâÂÂs death.
El-Shami had been arbitrarily held in Houthi custody since June 2024, when he and more than 60 people working with the UN and other NGOs were detained and accused of being part of an âÂÂAmerican-Israeli spy networkâÂÂ.
âÂÂI am also gravely concernedâ for the seven other OHCHR personnel who were detained alongside el-Shami and are still being held, Turk said. âÂÂI appeal again for their immediate and unconditional release.âÂÂ
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a separate statement on Saturday that he was âÂÂappalledâ by el-ShamiâÂÂs death and echoed TurkâÂÂs calls for an investigation.
The UN is âÂÂurgently seeking answersâ from the group about the circumstances of his death, Guterres added.
El-Shami is the second UN staff member to die in Houthi detention, following the death of a World Food Programme staffer in February 2025.
A total of 72 UN staffers and NGO workers, including el-Shami, have been detained by the Houthis.
The UN paused operations in parts of Houthi-held Yemen in February 2025 over concerns for the safety of its employees.
The rebel group has previously paraded some detainees on television channels, presenting them as collaborators with Western intelligence agencies and Israel.
On October 6, the UN announced that a World Food Programme employee had been released after being âÂÂarbitrarily detainedâ by the Iran-backed group.