SANAA, Yemen

The US Embassy in Yemen voiced concerns on Sunday over the safety of its employees held by the Houthi group.

“It’s been 3 years since the Houthis unlawfully detained US government local staff,” the embassy said in a statement.

“Several of our Yemeni colleagues may now face prosecution on false charges. We fear for their safety—and will not rest until these individuals and all detained UN, NGO, and diplomatic staff are released,” it added.

Since 2021, the Houthis have intermittently detained employees of diplomatic missions and international organizations, accusing them of espionage.

In June 2023, the group broadcast videos purportedly showing confessions from Yemeni detainees admitting to espionage activities, although their identities were not revealed.

The Houthis said that they will release the detained UN staff once their innocence is proven, as per a July 2023 statement by the group's unrecognized government.

Tension has escalated between Houthis and Washington over the US support for Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 42,600 people since last year.

Ever since, the Yemeni group has targeted Israeli-linked cargo ships in the Red Sea and the nearby Gulf of Aden, in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, inviting retaliatory attacks by the US and the UK.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi