Houthi Accuses UN Of Using Legal Immunity To Protect Spying

JAKARTA - The Houthi group said the immunity enjoyed by UN staff working in Yemen should not be used as a cover for espionage, days after at least 18 UN personnel were detained in the capital Sanaa.

The Houthis stormed the UN complex on Sunday. The operation comes after an Israeli attack on Sanaa killed the Houthi-led government prime minister Ahmed Al Rahwi and several other ministers.

The Yemeni Foreign Ministry led by the Houthis said it respects "The 1946 Convention on the United Nations' Special Rights and Immunity while emphasizing that this immunity does not protect espionage activities or those involved in it, nor does it provide them with legal protection," as quoted by The National September 4.

Prior to the weekend raids, the Houthis had detained 23 UN personnel, some of whom since 2021. In February, a UN staff member was killed while in a Houthi detention.

"So far, the UNICEF (UN Children's Funds) and WFP (World Food Program) offices are still under the control of the Houthis," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday, calling for immediate and unconditional releases for all detained.

He said the Houthis had also broken into the UN Development Program complex.

"We reiterate that the safety and security of UN personnel and property must be guaranteed and that the confidentiality of the UN building must always be respected," he said.

The Houthi Foreign Ministry also accused the UN of being biased, saying the United Nations had condemned "the legal action taken by the government against the spy cells involved in the crime" but failed to denounce Israel's attack on Sanaa, the Houthi-run news agency reported.

The Houthis are key components of Iran's anti-Israeli axis in the Middle East. They have launched repeated drone and missile attacks on Israel since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023.

Israel has launched several rounds of retaliatory attacks in Yemen against international ports, power plants, and airports in Sanaa.

On Thursday, the Houthis fired another missile at Israel, saying the target was Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. Israel said the missile crashed in an open area outside Israeli territory.

In response to this, Israel's Defense Minister, Israel Katz, vowed to bring down the 10 Egyptian suspicions mentioned in the Bible to the rebels.

Yemen has been divided between the Houthi government in Sanaa and Saudi Arabia-backed government in Aden since the group allied with Iran seized the capital in late 2014, which sparked a decade-long conflict.