Zum Weltflüchtlingstag stellt sich ein breites zivilgesellschaftliches Bündnis gegen die Entrechtung von schutzsuchenden Menschen.
Ethnische Säuberung des Westjordanlandes durch Israel muss Konsequenzen haben
Yemen: Huthis Should Free UN, Civil Society Staff
The de facto Huthi authorities in Yemen should immediately and unconditionally release the dozens of staff from the United Nations and Yemeni and international civil society organizations who have been arbitrarily detained over the last two years, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International said today. The Huthis’ arbitrary arrests of humanitarian workers has a direct impact on the delivery of lifesaving assistance to people in critical need of aid.
“That the Huthis are detaining aid workers while hunger worsens demonstrates the utter disregard they have for the people living within their territories in northern Yemen,” said Niku Jafarnia, Yemen and Bahrain researcher at Human Rights Watch. “They should immediately release all those they have arbitrarily detained and work on fulfilling people’s basic needs.”
Starting on 31 May 2024, the Huthis carried out a series of raids in areas under their control, arbitrarily detaining 13 UN staff and at least 50 staff from Yemeni and international civil society organizations. Since that time, the Huthis have arbitrarily detained dozens more staff of the UN and civil society organizations while releasing only seven. As of February 2026, 73 UN staff and dozens of other humanitarian workers remained in Huthi detention, all of them Yemeni nationals.
On 11 February 2025 an aid worker from the World Food Programme died in Huthi custody. His death heightens fears for the safety and well-being of others who remain arbitrarily detained in Huthi-run detention centres, given the Huthis’ track record of torture and other ill-treatment against detainees.
Many of those detained were arrested without being shown arrest warrants and were forcibly disappeared for months. While some have received medical care, many have not, including some detainees who have serious medical conditions.
No sources that Human Rights Watch has previously spoken to have been aware of any detainees having access to lawyers, despite three UN employees’ cases having been transferred to the Specialized Criminal Court in December of 2025.
Human Rights Watch found in January 2026 that the detentions have exacerbated the already dire humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
In their latest global report on hunger, the World Food Programme (WFP) and UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) warned: “The already critical acute food insecurity situation is expected to deteriorate further over the outlook period [November 2025 to May 2026], with pockets of the population projected to face Catastrophe” in four districts under Huthi control.
These arrests have been accompanied by a Huthi-led media campaign accusing humanitarian organizations and their staff of “conspiring” against the country’s interests through their projects and warning them of the dangers of “espionage”. Since 2015, Amnesty International has documented scores of cases in which Huthi authorities used spying charges to persecute political opponents and silence peaceful dissent.
“The continued crackdown on civic space in northern Yemen, in which the Huthis have arrested scores, including humanitarian workers, human rights defenders, journalists, and activists, has to end,” said Diala Haidar, Yemen researcher at Amnesty International. “All those arbitrarily detained should be immediately released. Pending their release, Huthi authorities must ensure they are protected from torture and other ill-treatment and that they have access to health care and legal counsel and regular contact with their family.”
The continued crackdown on civic space in northern Yemen, in which the Huthis have arrested scores, including humanitarian workers, human rights defenders, journalists, and activists, has to end
Diala Haidar, Yemen researcher at Amnesty International
Families of some detainees have been told that their detained family members were denied access to lawyers and forced by authorities to make video confessions.
The Huthis released videos in 2024 of other detainees “confessing” to espionage and other charges.
Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and other groups, including the former UN Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen, have documented the Huthis’ use of torture to obtain information or confessions.
Local and international civil society organizations play a critical role in alleviating Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. Despite drastic funding cuts from donor states, particularly the United States, that are putting the health and human rights of millions of people in Yemen at risk, aid workers on the ground are delivering lifesaving assistance and protection services, including in Huthi-controlled territories of Yemen.
Huthi authorities have targeted human rights and humanitarian workers before. Four Yemeni staff members from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) arrested in 2021 and 2023 remain arbitrarily detained and have been held incommunicado since their arrest. In September 2023, Huthis arrested the safety and security director at Save the Children, and held him incommunicado. He died on 25 October 2023, while arbitrarily detained.
Governments with influence on the Huthis and the UN leadership should step up efforts to secure the release of the nongovernmental organization and UN staff.
“The international community must move beyond statements of concern and deliver a unified, robust response that pressures the Huthi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all those arbitrarily detained, end reprisals against aid workers, and guarantee safe and unhindered humanitarian access across Yemen,” said Amna Guellali, research director at CIHRS.
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Ecuador: Public apologies are essential to provide redress to victims of enforced disappearance
In response to the public ceremony held today in Guayaquil, where the Commander General of the Ecuadorian Air Force, on behalf of the Armed Forces, publicly apologized to the families of Nehemías Arboleda Portocarrero, Steven Medina, Ismael Arroyo and Josué Arroyo, known as “the four boys from Las Malvinas,” who were victims of enforced disappearance by members of the Armed Forces on 8 December 2024, Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International, said:
“In light of this historic moment, we reiterate our solidarity with the families of the four boys and with all the families of the 51 people who disappeared following security operations carried out by the Armed Forces on Ecuador’s coast.”
In light of this historic moment, we reiterate our solidarity with the families of the four boys and with all the families of the 51 people who disappeared following security operations carried out by the Armed Forces on Ecuador’s coast.”
Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International
“Public apologies are a key milestone and represent an essential component of comprehensive redress for the harm caused by this terrible crime that deeply marked Ecuador. We welcome the implementation of these measures ordered by the Constitutional Court, following its historic ruling on the Las Malvinas case.”
“We regret the lack of willingness by the Armed Forces to listen to the demands of the other families of disappeared people who were present at the event and exercising their legitimate right to protest.”
“At the same time, we are alarmed by reports that, on 2 June, military patrols allegedly harassed a relative of one of the boys from Las Malvinas at her home. It is unacceptable that families continue to face intimidation by agents of the very institution that has already caused them so much harm. We call on the Ministry of Defence to put an end to this harassment. The Ecuadorian state must guarantee the protection of the families.”
“To ensure that these serious crimes do not continue to occur, it is essential to reverse the militarized approach to public security policy, which has led to serious human rights violations. The Ecuadorian authorities must fully comply with all the measures ordered by the Constitutional Court in its historic ruling on the Las Malvinas case, including the adoption of reforms to strengthen the prevention, investigation and punishment of enforced disappearances.”
“To ensure that these serious crimes do not continue to occur, it is essential to reverse the militarized approach to public security policy, which has led to serious human rights violations.”
Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International
“It is also essential to make firm progress in criminal investigations into enforced disappearances. It is unacceptable for these processes to remain stalled due to the lack of cooperation from the Armed Forces, which continue to resist sharing information by claiming it is ‘classified information.’ All victims and their families should have access to truth, justice and redress.”
“While the Las Malvinas case has seen important progress, it cannot be the only case in which a ruling is secured and redress measures are adopted. The risk of impunity remains high for other victims and families who are still waiting for answers from the state.”
In addition to the families of the four boys from Las Malvinas and representatives of the Ministry of Defence, the ceremony was attended by the Permanent Committee for the Defence of Human Rights in Guayaquil (CDH Guayaquil), which legally represents the victims; the Committee of Families for Truth and Justice; representatives of the international community, including the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances; and the Ombudsperson’s Office, which acted as mediator for the event. Amnesty International supported the event.
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact press@amnesty.org
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Three fans share their hopes and fears for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
The World Cup brings people together like no other event. That is what football is. That is what humanity can be.
Yet, millions of football fans who are set to attend the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA risk coming face to face with troubling attacks on human rights, not least those stemming from abusive and deadly US immigration policies.
Three fans, who also work for Amnesty International, will be travelling to the World Cup this year. Here they share their thoughts on why everyone attending the world’s greatest football tournament deserves to feel safe, included and free to exercise their rights.
“Everything good about football is rooted in community, inclusion and passion – the World Cup should be no exception”
Duncan Tucker, 37, from the UK but based in Mexico City
My love of football came from playing with friends and watching with family when I was kid. I’ll never forget the roar of the crowd at White Hart Lane when my parents first took me to see Tottenham Hotspur in 1995. Nor the excitement of Euro 96, from Gazza’s wonder goal against Scotland and England’s 4-1 demolition of the Netherlands, to the crushing heartbreak against Germany – perfectly soundtracked by the anthemic “Three Lions”. I was captivated by every minute.
I’ve never been to a World Cup, so I’m buzzing to watch South Africa take on South Korea in my wife’s hometown of Monterrey in northern Mexico. I’m expecting a joyous atmosphere, given Mexico’s proud history of hosting iconic World Cups and its national obsession with the sport. Mexico should also prove a more hospitable destination than the USA, where the Trump administration’s discriminatory visa restrictions and invasive, aggressive and highly militarized immigration enforcement will discourage many potential visitors. However, while Mexico’s authorities will embrace tourists, we should not forget that they are nowhere near as welcoming to vulnerable migrants and refugees who risk their lives attempting the hazardous journey to the US border.
I hope everyone who attends will be able to enjoy the tournament in a safe and discrimination-free environment. Everything good about football is rooted in community, inclusion and passion – and the World Cup should be no exception. Yet FIFA’s outrageous ticket costs, combined with Mexico’s extreme economic inequality, have priced all but a tiny fraction of the host population out of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend matches. This is meant to be the people’s game, not a vessel for sportswashing or corporate greed. But FIFA has repeatedly betrayed the spirit of the game, from exorbitant pricing to shamelessly inventing a peace prize to curry favour with President Trump. It must urgently recentre the World Cup around all the things that make football special, before the world falls out of love with it.
“The World Cup is supposed to bring people together, but many communities are currently living in fear”
Mary Kapron, 38, from Canada
I grew up playing competitive soccer in my hometown of Peterborough, Ontario. When I think back on that time, some of my happiest memories are travelling to games and tournaments with my teammates, who were also my closest friends. Soccer was a huge part of my life growing up, and it’s something that’s still really important to me today.
Growing up in Canada, one of my favourite things about the World Cup was how everyone came together around it. Our neighbours were from all over the world, and during the tournament you’d see flags from every country hanging from houses and cars everywhere. It always felt like this really joyful moment where people connected across cultures and backgrounds.
I’m really excited to be attending a World Cup game. At the same time, I’m also very aware of the privilege involved in being able to go. Ticket prices are incredibly high. This World Cup has become inaccessible to so many people who love the sport but can’t afford to attend.
For people travelling to the United States, there are concerns about immigration policies. Nationals from several countries participating in the tournament, including Côte d’Ivoire, Haiti, Iran and Senegal, are affected by the Trump administration’s travel ban, which means many won’t be able to attend matches in the US.
Given the work I do documenting human rights violations against migrants and asylum seekers in the US, I’m also concerned about immigration enforcement around stadiums, Fan Fest events or public watch parties. The World Cup is supposed to bring people together, but many communities are currently living in fear and may not feel comfortable gathering publicly.
From a soccer perspective, I hope there are surprises and upsets, and I’d love to see a country win that has never won before. But more than that, I hope people are able to experience the joy and sense of community that soccer can create. One of the reasons I love the sport is the way it brings people together across languages, cultures and borders, and I hope fans are able to celebrate safely and freely without fear.
FIFA often talks about soccer as something that unites the world, and I really believe that the sport has the power to do that. But if FIFA is serious about that message, then human rights need to be part of the conversation as well.
“Football’s biggest celebration must return to its working-class roots”
Guillermo Rodríguez García, 31, from Mexico City
Football takes me back to my childhood, when we used to stop traffic to play with all my neighbours. That was in early 2000, before the Mexican government declared the “war on drugs”, and it was reasonably safe to go outside without adult supervision. Football is that freedom we used to have in public spaces, but it’s also family to me: my older brother and sister are big fans of the Guadalajara club, so I sort of inherited their passion.
Attending the World Cup is a mixed feelings experience! Yes, it’s exciting! The third World Cup in Mexico and the first shared with the US and Canada – an expression of how close our relationship is: migration, commerce, cultures, and shared ecosystems that rely on each other.
But it’s also difficult to see how elitist the game has become: prohibitive prices, hyperconsumption, exploitation of host communities, and FIFA’s indolence around the genocide in Palestine. It’s hard to see our countries pretending this is a world celebration, while all three countries actively diminish the rights of migrants and people seeking international protection.
My greatest fear is that the World Cup becomes the perfect cover for human rights violations in host countries and beyond. I hope this World Cup will be a celebration that brings us closer together as humanity, and that, rather than just a mental break, it will be the opportunity to deepen our empathy for the many instances of violence occurring around the world.
I call on FIFA to prioritize fans over commercial interests. This means firmly advocating for conditions that respect the human rights of visitors and host communities, and taking all necessary measures to ensure that football’s biggest celebration returns to its working-class roots – and isn’t just for those who can afford tickets costing hundreds of dollars.
Tell FIFA & World Cup hosts: no fear, no crackdowns, no excuses
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