Daijiworld Media Network - Sanaa
Sanaa, Nov 23: A Houthi-controlled court in Yemen’s capital has sentenced 18 Yemeni aid workers affiliated with United Nations humanitarian agencies to death, accusing them of spying for Israel. According to the ruling, the individuals are to be executed by firing squad in a public location in Sanaa. Two additional defendants — including a woman — received 10-year prison sentences on similar charges.
In a statement broadcast on Saturday by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, the court alleged that the accused provided sensitive information to Israel, the US, Britain, and Saudi Arabia. The purported intelligence included details on the movements and locations of senior Houthi leaders, political and military secrets, and data on missile systems, such as launch sites and storage facilities.
The court further claimed that the defendants recruited local citizens, installed surveillance cameras, and accepted payments for their activities — actions that, according to the ruling, facilitated attacks on military, security, and civilian sites, resulting in numerous deaths and significant infrastructure damage, Xinhua reported.
The case follows a wave of Israeli airstrikes in August targeting Houthi positions in Sanaa. Those strikes — launched in retaliation for Houthi missile and drone attacks toward Israel — killed dozens of senior Houthi figures, including 12 cabinet-level officials and Mohammed Abdulkarim al-Ghamari, the group’s military chief of staff.
In the aftermath of those strikes, Houthi forces raided several UN humanitarian offices and detained numerous Yemeni staff members. Many of those arrested are among the individuals sentenced this week.
Last week, al-Masirah TV aired footage of the accused delivering what the Houthis described as “confessions.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres denounced the verdicts, demanding the “immediate and unconditional” release of all detained UN aid workers. He warned that interference with humanitarian operations in Yemen could jeopardise the survival of millions already facing extreme food insecurity.
Since October 2023, the Houthis have intensified cross-border missile and drone launches toward Israel as a show of solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Israel has responded with airstrikes on Houthi-controlled territories, resulting in additional casualties and heightened regional tensions.