The UN human rights official in Yemen, Mohammed al-Shami, has died after two years in Houthi custody. This is what the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, reported on the X social network. Turk demanded an independent investigation and the release of all UN employees who remained in detention. Mohammed al-Shami from Yemen was arrested by the Houthis on June 6, 2024 and died more than a month ago. The press service of the United Nations Human Rights Office said that the family only recently learned of his death. "Mohammed's family has not received any explanation about the reasons and circumstances of his death - they deserve to know the truth," Turk said. According to the Prime Minister of Yemen, Shia Mohsen al-Zindani, more than 70 UN workers remain in the custody of the Houthis. He announced this on the X social network. In early October, the leader of the internationally recognized government of Yemen, Rishad al-Alimi, announced the launch of a military operation against the Houthis to restore government control over territories held by the movement. Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, discussed the situation in Yemen on September 22. During the conversation, the parties touched upon the cessation of hostilities and the creation of conditions for dialogue under the auspices of the United Nations. The conflict in Yemen has continued since 2014, when the Houthis captured the capital Sana'a. The internationally recognized government controls mainly the south and east of the country, while the Houthis control Sana'a and large parts of the north and west. A UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022 did not lead to a lasting cessation of hostilities.