Sanaa (South24 Center)

The Iran-backed Houthi group has initiated trials against 21 detained UN staff, accusing them of "espionage” on behalf of foreign countries, with the prosecution seeking the death penalty. Continuing its attacks on humanitarian organizations, Houthi gunmen on Wednesday (Nov 12) stormed the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sana'a, according to media sources.

The Houthi-controlled ‘Saba’ news agency reported that the Specialized Criminal Court in the capital secretariat in Sanaa held two sessions on Tuesday (November 11) to examine the cases of the 21 defendants, describing them as members of an "espionage network" linked to a joint U.S.-Israeli-Saudi intelligence operations center based in Riyadh.

The agency added that the prosecution has sought the death penalty against them after presenting what it claimed were "detailed confessions" and evidence, including communication devices, gold bullion, and correspondence with foreign intelligence officers.

On October 31, the acting foreign minister of the Iran-backed Houthi unrecognized government, Abdulwahid Abu Ras, told Reuters that 43 detained local United Nations staff will face trial on suspicion of links to the August 28 Israeli airstrike that killed top Houthi leaders.

The Houthi military chief, prime minister and other top ministers were killed in the Israeli air strike on the Houthi-held capital Sanaa, in the first such attack to kill senior officials.

The United Nations has rejected Houthi accusations that UN staff or UN operations in Yemen are involved in espionage activities.

On Sunday (November 10), the group detained prominent intellectual and academic Hamoud Al-Awdi, alongside activist Abdulrahman Al-Alfi and Anwar Shaeb, director of the ‘Dal’ Center for Social Studies, after summoning them to the so-called "Security and Intelligence Apparatus" headquarters in Sanaa.

A journalistic source told South24 Center that the families of the three abductees have been unable to contact them thus far.

Since the Gaza ceasefire, the Houthi group has intensified security campaigns against activists, academics, and UN staff on charges of "espionage," detaining dozens.

UN Secretary-General's spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated on October 18 that Houthi elements had confiscated technical equipment, communication devices, and assets belonging to the international organization.

The Houthi raids have targeted organizations including Oxfam, the office of UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg, and other UN agencies.

Today's storming of the ICRC headquarters marks an additional escalation against international organizations, raising concerns about prisoner exchange efforts between warring parties in Yemen and monitoring potential violations they may face in prisons.

According to The National, during the raid, the Houthis kept dozens of ICRC employees including foreign workers under siege, and questioned them.

The daily quoted a source as saying that armed men confiscated mobile phones and laptops, cutting off communications with staff at the office including the ICRC's head of mission Christine Cipolla. Hours later, the devices were returned and many of the workers released.

In a statement today, UN Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg warned that "the continued detention of UN staff by the Houthis hinders aid delivery and undermines confidence in mediation efforts."

The statement noted that Grundberg had concluded a round of discussions in Saudi Arabia and the UAE regarding peace efforts in Yemen, including meetings with ambassadors of the five permanent UN Security Council member states.