Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, met in Muscat on Sunday with senior Omani officials and the Houthi spokesperson, Mohammed Abdulsalam.
In a statement posted on X, the UN envoy’s office announced that the meeting “discussed the recent arbitrary arrest of additional UN staff, which adds to the many others still detained by Ansar Allah (Houthis).”
The statement said that Grundberg “reiterated the firm position of the UN Secretary-General, strongly condemning these arrests, and calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained UN staff, along with workers from international and local NGOs, civil society organizations, and diplomatic missions detained since June 2024, in addition to those detained in 2021 and 2023.”
He added that the meetings discussed “the importance of continuing regional de-escalation as a means of improving the chances of returning Yemen to a path of sustainable peace.”
He noted that the special envoy “remains committed to working with all Yemeni, regional, and international parties to ensure progress towards a peaceful and comprehensive solution to the conflict in Yemen.”
In all his discussions, the UN envoy continues to urge the Houthis to immediately and unconditionally release the individuals detained by the UN, NGOs, civil society, and diplomatic missions, emphasizing that arbitrary arrests are unacceptable and constitute a violation of international law.
In June 2024, the Houthis arrested 13 UN staff members, including six working for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as 50 workers for NGO and an employee of an embassy.
The Houthis said at the time that they had dismantled an American-Israeli espionage network operating under the guise of humanitarian organizations, a claim denied by the UN.
It is worth noting that the Houthis have been holding two other UN human rights officers since November 2021 and August 2023.
