The U.S. is demanding the release of former and current U.S. embassy personnel in Yemen after a retired employee died in Houthi detention.
Abdulhameed Al-Ajami remained isolated from his family for the last six months of his life until his death in custody, according to a May 25 statement by State Department spokesperson Ned Price. The department expressed its condolences to his family and loved ones.
“The United States is deeply saddened by the death of Abdulhameed Al-Ajami, one of our retired employees who passed away in Houthi detention. Al-Ajami had no contact with his family during the last six months of his life,” Price said, according to the statement. "We demand the Houthis release detained current and former U.S. employees."
The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, took control of Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, and a large section of the country’s northern section during the country’s civil war in 2014, the Associated Press reported May 26. That forced the internationally recognized government to go into exile and prompted the U.S. embassy shutdown.
When the Houthis seized control of the headquarters of the U.S. embassy in Yemen last October, they detained dozens of former staff. At least 11 remained in rebel custody after a number of them were released, the AP reported.
Al-Ajami and the other captives who were taken into custody were never charged or brought to trial during their captivity, according to the AP. Information about Al-Ajami's death has not been released. He was reportedly suffering from moderate kidney failure around the time of his capture. Even as his condition worsened, he was not allowed access to medication or medical help, according to the AP.
