Twenty-four prominent human rights organizations have jointly called for the immediate release of international relief workers detained by the Houthi militia in Yemen. 

The organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, condemned the arbitrary detention of at least eight UN staff and dozens of Yemeni and international civil society organization staff members. 

The arrests, which began in May 2024, have been part of an ongoing crackdown on humanitarian workers under baseless accusations of espionage. The detained individuals have been held without access to legal representation or their families. 

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has also demanded their immediate and unconditional release, emphasizing the critical role these workers play in providing life-saving assistance to the Yemeni people.