The United Nations confirmed, on Tuesday, that the videos circulated on social media of UN employees describing them as “spying” cells were “essentially forced confessions,” calling for the speedy release of the UN employees kidnapped by the Houthi group.

The spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasani, said that the whereabouts of the employees of the United Nations and international organizations kidnapped by the Houthi group “remains unknown,” and that the de facto Houthi authorities “did not allow physical access to any of them, despite our requests.” Repeated".

She added: “We call on the de facto authorities in Sana’a to facilitate (the work of) and not obstruct UN entities and other humanitarian and human rights actors in their efforts to serve the Yemeni people, including promoting and protecting their rights.”

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights renewed its demand for the immediate and unconditional release of UN staff and all human rights and humanitarian aid workers detained in Yemen by the de facto Houthi authorities “without legal protection.”

The Houthi group had accused the six employees of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights who were arrested on June 6 of “collaborating” with the CIA and the Israeli Mossad.

In response to journalists’ questions, the Commission’s spokeswoman confirmed that the videos circulated on social media of her colleagues were “essentially forced confessions,” and said that this type of “completely false accusations in this context is particularly disturbing.”< /p>

Next Friday marks three months since the Houthi group arrested six UNHCR employees, including a woman and five men, along with seven other UN employees in Yemen based on “fabricated allegations,” according to UNHCR spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani.

It is noteworthy that the Houthi group kidnapped four more UN employees between 2021 and 2023, bringing the total number of UN employees arbitrarily detained in Yemen to 17 employees.