UN condemns Houthi broadcast of video showing detained staff member making ‘forced statement’

The UN on Tuesday condemned the Houthi group for the broadcast of a video showing one of its staff members making a “visibly forced statement” while in detention, Anadolu reports.

“We issued a note yesterday in which we condemned the broadcast on the 5th of November, 2026, of video footage showing a United Nations staff member making a visibly forced statement while in custody of the Houthi de facto authorities.

“The video exposes our colleague to public vilification, puts him at further risk, and causes distress to his family,” said deputy spokesman Farhan Haq.

The UN urged Houthi authorities to immediately remove the video and stop publishing statements recorded while personnel are in detention, said Haq.

He also urged the authorities to ensure the safety and humane treatment of all detained personnel and release them “immediately and unconditionally.”

Haq called on member states to work collectively to pressure the Houthis to secure the release of all detained personnel, stressing that those held include not only UN employees but also staff members of other international organizations and non-governmental organizations.

“We’ve made those appeals to the Security Council. We’ve made them to countries with influence, and we will continue doing that. Unfortunately, we haven’t received the results we needed,” he said.

He confirmed that one detainee had been released aå few weeks ago, while approximately 70 personnel remained in captivity.