Houthi authorities in Sana'a have referred eight aid workers to specialized prosecutors on charges of espionage and aiding an enemy, offenses that carry the potential death penalty, according to Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
The Iran-backed Houthi militia has escalated its crackdown on humanitarian and human rights personnel by initiating criminal proceedings against these individuals. The two organizations stated in a joint release on Tuesday that the Houthi authorities have pursued criminal prosecution against at least eight individuals since August 18, 2026. Among those referred to specialized prosecution are two United Nations employees, a UN consultant, and five individuals who worked with international and local organizations in health, human rights, and humanitarian aid sectors.
The detained individuals face accusations under Articles 127 and 128 of Yemen's Penal Code. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch described the charges, linked to their humanitarian and human rights work, as vague and overly broad. They also noted that all eight detainees have been denied adequate access to legal counsel. This case represents a new escalation in a broader Houthi campaign against civil society and UN personnel, which has involved waves of arrests since May 31, 2024. Over the past two years, the Houthis have arbitrarily detained more than 100 UN and civil society organization employees and workers, according to the two human rights groups.
The violations extend beyond arrest and prosecution. Families of some detainees have reported that their relatives were subjected to torture or threats of torture to extract confessions of espionage. Furthermore, several detainees experienced enforced disappearances for months, and some were arrested without warrants being presented. Concerns are also mounting regarding the health of the detainees. All eight individuals referred for trial remain in detention, with several suffering from serious illnesses, including diabetics who have not received adequate medical care, an individual at risk of glaucoma, and another undergoing chemotherapy for stomach cancer while in custody.
These concerns are amplified by the death of a World Food Programme employee in Houthi custody on February 11, 2025, which has heightened anxieties about the fate of dozens of other humanitarian workers held by the group. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch believe that the Specialized Criminal Court in Sana'a has become an instrument of political repression under Houthi control of the judiciary in their controlled areas. The group has previously used espionage charges against opponents and activists to silence them.
Human Rights Watch has previously documented the Houthis' use of espionage charges against aid workers, often coinciding with media campaigns accusing humanitarian organizations of intelligence operations without providing clear public evidence. These developments raise alarms that transforming aid workers into alleged spies not only endangers the detained individuals but also imposes further restrictions on humanitarian work in a country where millions of Yemenis depend on assistance. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called on the Houthis to cease these prosecutions and to release the eight detainees, along with all other arbitrarily detained UN and civil society personnel, immediately and unconditionally.
