Yemen’s Houthis plan espionage trial for detained UN staff

Yemen’s Iranian-aligned Houthis said on Friday they would try detained local UN workers on charges of spying for Israel.

The rebel militia has been targeting UN agencies since August. They raided their offices in the Yemeni capital Sana’a and arrested several employees.

The UN this week condemned what it called the “arbitrary arrests” of its workers and those of other international organizations, and demanded the release of 59 employees detained by the Houthis.

Nasruddin Amer, a senior Houthi official, said on Friday the planned trial is not targeting the UN or other international aid groups.

“The judiciary will determine the penalty for those accused of spying for Israel in accordance with Yemeni law,” Amer told dpa. “This is not a law we enacted. It is a law that has been in effect and applied in the country by previous regimes.”

Under Yemeni law, the suspects could could face the death penalty if convicted.

“The trial is not against the organizations, but against those who exploited humanitarian work to carry out espionage against our country and our people,” Amer added.

He did not say how many will be put on trial, or when the hearings will begin.

The militia’s leader, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, has previously accused UN organizations of involvement in “espionage and aggressive” activities.

The Houthi crackdown came after an Israeli attack in late August in Sana’a killed the group’s then prime minister Ahmed al-Rahawi along with nine ministers.

After the Gaza conflict erupted in October 2023, the Houthis began attacking Israel with missiles and drones. The militia framed the attacks as support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The Houthis control large areas in the north of war-wracked Yemen, including Sana’a.