United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemns a referral by Yemen's Houthis of some of the dozens of U.N. staff they have detained to a special criminal court, his spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Antonio Guterres © Mena Today
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemns a referral by Yemen's Houthis of some of the dozens of U.N. staff they have detained to a special criminal court, his spokesperson said on Tuesday.
U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the Houthis have arbitrarily detained 59 Yemeni U.N. personnel, who have been held "incommunicado - some for years - without any due process, in violation of international law."
"United Nations personnel, including those who are nationals of Yemen, are immune from legal process in respect of all acts performed by them in their official capacity," Dujarric said.
The Iran-aligned Houthis have controlled most of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, since seizing power in 2014 and early 2015.
The United Nations has repeatedly rejected Houthi accusations that U.N. staff or U.N. operations in Yemen were involved in spying.
"We call on the de facto authorities to rescind the referral and work in good faith toward the immediate release of all detained personnel," Dujarric said. "The United Nations remains committed to supporting the people of Yemen and delivering principled humanitarian assistance."
Reporting by Michelle Nichols
Yemen’s main southern separatist group claimed broad control across the south of the country on Monday, including in the port city of Aden which has served as the base of the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government for a decade.
The trial of a dual national holding European citizenship has begun in Iran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Monday, saying they were indicted for "intelligence cooperation and espionage in favour of the Zionist regime (Israel)."
President Donald Trump describes a Middle East in transition and argues that the region, long seen as a focal point of global instability, now presents expanding opportunities for partnership, investment, and strategic cooperation.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.