The Houthis, the Iran-backed terrorist group ruling northern Yemen, have kidnapped more than 75 people since the US began its large-scale operation against the group, according to SAM, a Geneva-based human rights organization focused on the Middle East. The Houthis have a history of kidnappings and forced disappearances as part of their domestic control apparatus; however, the total is a significant increase in a short period.
Local media reported on March 26 that at least 15 people had been detained in the Houthi capital, Sanaa. By March 27, more than 75 people had been kidnapped by Houthi intelligence and police agencies, according to Asharq al Awsat. Most of these individuals were taken from the city of Saada in the northern Houthi home governorate of Saada.
The individuals detained in recent weeks have been accused of collaborating with US airstrikes. US Central Command (CENTCOM) has struck the Houthis more than 200 times since launching the large-scale operation against the group on March 15, according to the White House. The Houthis accused civilians of communicating with the US if they were deemed to be engaging in suspicious behavior, such as spending significant time on their phones during raids or filming the airstrikes. Even Houthi members have been accused of collusion and arrested or detained without an explanation.
SAM also reported on five banking officials kidnapped by the Houthis. Local sources reported to Asharq al Awsat that at least five bank employees were arrested at checkpoints in Houthi-controlled territory. These arrests follow the US designation of the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) on March 4, which prohibits support to the group and restricts its ability to conduct financial transactions. In response, eight banks announced their intention to relocate from Houthi-controlled Sanaa to Aden, the interim capital of the Internationally Recognized Government of Yemen.
The Houthis’ record of arbitrary detentions
The Houthis have a long history of detaining individuals. On March 25, the United Nation’s International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members, the UN said 23 of the 52 UN personnel detained globally are being held by the groups in Yemen.
In February 2025, the UN paused operations in the Houthi-controlled Saada Governorate, citing the “absence of the necessary security conditions and guarantees.” The UN made this decision after one World Food Programme employee died in Houthi detention following his kidnapping, along with seven other UN workers in January 2025. The Houthis also kidnapped UN personnel and aid workers in raids throughout 2024. The terrorist group generally targets local Yemeni employees of the UN and international aid organizations.
Beyond aid workers, the Houthis detain Yemeni and foreign civilians and use kidnappings and forced disappearances as a tool of repression. A US State Department human rights report in 2023 recorded allegations of over 500 arbitrary detentions in one year by the Houthis. The terrorist group held the crew of the cargo ship Galaxy Leader, seized in November 2023, for over a year. The Houthis targeted the Galaxy Leader in their campaign against commercial vessels in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians over the war in Gaza.
