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UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani on UN staff detained in Yemen
The UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani provided the following update on the detained UN staff in Yemen, at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
“This Friday marks three months since six of our colleagues in Yemen were arrested by the ‘Ansar Allah’ de facto authorities three months,” she said.
“The six UN Human Rights staff – two women and four men – were arrested on 6 June together with seven other UN personnel. Two UN Human Rights and two colleagues from other UN agencies have been detained by the de facto authorities since 2021 and 2023 respectively, bringing the number of UN staff arbitrarily detained in Yemen to 17,” Shamdasani said.
“Once again, the High Commissioner demands their immediate and unconditional release, and the release of all human rights and humanitarian workers similarly arrested and detained without legal protections,”spokesperson said.
“We also call on the de facto authorities in Sana’a to facilitate rather than hinder UN entities and other human rights and humanitarian actors in their efforts to serve the people of Yemen, including for the promotion and protection of their human rights,” she said.
ENDS
For more information and media requests, please contact:
In Geneva
Ravina Shamdasani - + 41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org or
Thameen Al-Kheetan - + 41 76 223 77 62 / thameen.alkheetan@un.org
Seif Magango - +254 788 343 897 / seif.magango@un.org
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