A court controlled by the Houthi group in Sana’a issued death sentences today against 17 individuals convicted of espionage. The defendants were found guilty of collaborating with the United States, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, according to reports from the Houthi-controlled Saba news agency.
The specialized criminal court in the capital, Sana’a, handed down the sentences, alleging the individuals were part of a “spy network affiliated with American, Israeli, and Saudi intelligence services.” The court accused the 17 defendants of “communicating with foreign countries hostile to Yemen and spying through intelligence officers from those countries and the Israeli Mossad.”
The sentences, which call for execution by firing squad, come amid a broader campaign of arrests carried out by the Houthis in recent months. This campaign reportedly intensified following the assassination of Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahwi, the head of the Houthi-led government, and several ministers in an alleged Israeli airstrike on Sana’a in late August.
The arrests have reportedly targeted “dozens of individuals suspected of spying for Israel,” as well as employees of the United Nations and affiliated organizations.
The United Nations announced in October that the number of its staff detained by the Houthis has reached 55 since 2021.
These trials have drawn criticism from Yemeni and international human rights organizations, which accuse the Houthis of conducting sham trials and denying defendants their rights to a fair defense. These groups assert that the proceedings lack due process and transparency. The international community has repeatedly called for the release of all those arbitrarily detained.
