On Saturday, November 22, 2025, a court in Sanaa run by the Houthi movement handed down death sentences to 18 Yemeni aid workers employed by United Nations humanitarian agencies, accusing them of spying for Israel.
The ruling calls for public executions by firing squad and imposes 10-year prison terms on two additional aid workers, including one woman. The court alleges the convicts passed sensitive information on Houthi leaders' locations and missile sites to Israel, the United States, Britain and Saudi Arabia, actions it says led to deadly attacks and widespread damage.
In August 2025, Israeli airstrikes on Sanaa killed dozens of Houthi officials, including 12 ministers and the chief of staff of Houthi military forces. In retaliation, Houthi forces stormed UN offices and detained numerous Yemeni aid workers, setting the stage for this judicial showdown.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the sentences as "unacceptable," urging the Houthis to release all detained aid workers immediately and warning that blocking humanitarian operations threatens millions of Yemenis with famine amid the country's ongoing crisis.
Since October 2023, the Houthi movement has launched missile and drone attacks toward Israel in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Israel has responded with airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas, fueling a cycle of reprisals that has further destabilized the region.
Humanitarian organizations and rights groups are now calling for renewed international dialogue and legal oversight to protect aid workers and keep vital relief corridors open, as Yemen faces one of the world's most severe humanitarian emergencies.
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Houthi court sentences Yemeni UN workers to death over alleged spying
cgtn.com
