Houthi Court Sentences 18 UN Aid Workers to Death for Alleged Espionage

As reported in today's News Links, a Houthi court in Yemen has condemned 18 UN national staff in Yemen to death.  These are our colleagues who are trapped in what has so far been a political battle involving Houthi controlled parts of Yemen on one side, and Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the US on the other side.  They and their families deserve full support of the UN and the UN agencies which employed them

Tom

Defendants stand behind bars during a sentencing hearing
 at the state security court in Sanaa, Yemen, on November 22, 2025. /VCG

Houthi Court Sentences 18 UN Aid Workers to Death for Alleged Espionage

Multiple sources (Xinhua, CGTN, Siasat.com)

November 22-23, 2025

Click here for the article

Summary:
A Houthi-run court in Yemen's capital Sanaa on Saturday, November 22, 2025, sentenced 18 Yemeni aid workers employed by United Nations humanitarian agencies to death by firing squad for allegedly spying for Israel.

The ruling states the executions will be carried out publicly in Sanaa. The same court handed two other defendants, including a woman, 10-year prison terms on identical charges.

In a statement broadcast on Houthi-controlled al-Masirah TV, the court accused the convicted workers of providing intelligence to Israel, the United States, Britain, and Saudi Arabia regarding dozens of Houthi leaders' locations, movements, and classified political, military, and security information.

The court specifically alleged they shared details about missile sites, including launch locations and storage facilities. According to the ruling, the defendants recruited citizens, installed surveillance cameras, and received payments for intelligence that allegedly enabled attacks on military, security, and civilian targets, resulting in deaths and extensive infrastructure damage.

The detentions followed Israeli airstrikes on Sanaa in August 2025 that killed dozens of Houthi officials, including 12 ministers and Mohammed Abdulkarim al-Ghamari, the chief of staff of Houthi military forces.

Houthis stormed several UN agency offices in Sanaa, detaining dozens of Yemeni aid workers, including those sentenced on Saturday. Last week, al-Masirah TV aired footage showing the detained workers delivering what the Houthis described as "confessions."

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the sentences and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all detained UN aid workers. Guterres warned that obstructing humanitarian relief operations in Yemen places millions of people at risk of famine in a country already experiencing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

The 18 death sentences represent a severe escalation in the Houthi targeting of humanitarian workers attempting to deliver aid in Yemen.

Quotes:

"United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned the Houthis, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all UN aid workers, and warned that obstructing humanitarian relief in Yemen puts millions at risk of famine."



"The court accused the convicts of providing Israel, the United States, Britain, and Saudi Arabia with information on dozens of Houthi leaders' locations, movements, and secrets related to political, military, and security matters, as well as information about missiles, including their launch sites and storage facilities."