Houthi group announces release of held UN employees after clearing some of them of espionage charges

By Mohammed Sameai

SANAA, Yemen (AA) – The Yemeni Houthi group announced on Tuesday that it would release detained UN employees who have been proven innocent of espionage for the US and Israel.

The announcement came after a meeting in the capital Sanaa between Abdulaziz bin Habtour, head of the Houthi government that is not internationally recognized, and Peter Hawkins, the acting UN humanitarian coordinator and UNICEF representative in Yemen, according to the group-run Saba news agency.

However, the news agency did not specify how many of the 17 UN employees in custody have been cleared of espionage charges.

On May 10, Houthis said they had “uncovered an American-Israeli espionage cell in official and unofficial institutions in Yemen.”

The group then broadcast a video of Yemenis purportedly confessing to espionage activities in Yemen.

“The UN employees proven clear of charges related to a US and Israel spy network and will be released,” Habtour said in the announcement.

The Houthi leader also highlighted the need to strengthen partnerships with various international and humanitarian organizations operating in Yemen, taking into account the exceptional circumstances the country is currently facing.

The UN has yet to comment on the Houthi statements.

On May 11, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres demanded the "immediate and unconditional release" of 17 UN personnel detained in Yemen by the de facto Houthi authorities.

Two days later, 40 countries also pleaded with the Houthis to release the UN staffers "immediately and without conditions."

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa. The crisis escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

Tens of thousands of Yemenis, including numerous civilians, are believed to have been killed in the conflict, while 14 million are at risk of starvation, according to the UN.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio