Renewed Calls for Release of OHCHR Human Rights Coordinator Held by Houthis

Human rights advocates and activists have renewed their calls for the release of human rights activist Samira Balah, the field coordinator for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Al Hudaydah Governorate, urging the Houthi militia to free her and all other women detained in its prisons.

In separate posts on social media platforms, activists stressed the need to uphold humanitarian and legal principles and respect Yemeni social norms that prohibit violations of women's dignity and rights.

Samira Balah is regarded as one of the most prominent human rights defenders in Al Hudaydah Governorate. She played a leading role in monitoring the conditions of detainees and abductees and faced a series of threats and harassment because of her work.

The Houthi militia abducted Balah in early June 2024 as part of a broader campaign targeting a number of human rights, humanitarian, and aid workers.