A few dozen United Nations staff detained by Yemen’s Houthis will face trial over alleged ties to the Israeli airstrikes in August that decapitated the political leadership of the terrorist group, Reuters reported on Friday.
“The steps taken by the security agencies were carried out under full judicial supervision. The public prosecution was kept informed step by step with every action taken,” acting Foreign Minister Abdulwahid Abu Ras said in an interview with the news agency.
“Therefore, as long as the prosecution is informed, it is certain that this process is moving toward its conclusion, leading to trials and the issuance of judicial rulings,” he said.
Thirty-six U.N. staff members were arrested after Israel’s attack, though it is unclear how many will stand trial, Reuters reported. At least 59 are currently detained by the Houthis.
According to Emirati state-owned daily The National, 43 U.N. personal are facing trial, most of whom are Yemeni.
The Houthi foreign minister moreover accused the U.N.’s World Food Program of involvement in Israel’s Aug. 28 attack, an accusation that the international body denies.
If found guilty, the U.N. staffers could be executed.
“We call for the immediate release of all of our U.N. colleagues who have been detained arbitrarily, as well as those from NGOs and international diplomatic missions,” U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York, according to The National.
“We will continue engaging with the Houthis, with the de facto authorities in Sana’a, as well as Member States and partners, to continue to push for the release of our colleagues,” the report added.
The U.N. distributes humanitarian aid in the war-torn country, which about 70% of the population is reliant upon, The National reported.
The Iran-backed Houthis joined Hamas’s war against Israel in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in the northwestern Negev. The Yemeni terrorist group started firing missiles at the Jewish state out of solidarity with the Palestinians. It furthermore launched a terrorist campaign against ships in the Red Sea, causing major disruptions to maritime supply chains.
Israel, in retaliation, carried out several air raids against the Yemeni rebels, including the attack in August that killed many of the leading figures of the Houthis’ government.
