The Houthi militias have once again violated the rights of U.S. embassy staff in Sana'a, which has been closed for seven years. The militia has kidnapped media official Abdulrahman Saif Al-Sharabi, the assistant to the head of the media office at the embassy, as reported today by a correspondent of the Chinese news agency "Xinhua" in Yemen.
Arrest Campaign
Since mid-October last year, the militia has been carrying out a campaign of arrests against embassy personnel in the capital. This campaign has coincided with the Houthis storming the embassy premises and replacing the security staff with armed members of the group. The militias also looted large quantities of equipment and supplies from the site.
Xinhua Correspondent's Tweet
However, international efforts later led to the release of the employees, and this violation has reoccurred today.
Release of 30 Employees
American officials announced months ago that efforts by their special envoy, Tim Lenderking, led to the release of 30 Yemeni employees of the U.S. embassy in Sana'a. At that time, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) considered the Houthis' storming of the building as "an affront to the entire international community." The agency, which has been operating in the country since 1959, condemned the detention of the Yemeni employees. It is noteworthy that the U.S. embassy has been closed since 2015 when the Houthis took control of the Yemeni capital; however, some Yemeni employees continued to work from home or as security guards for the buildings before being previously detained and later released by the militias.
