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U.S. demands immediate release of Yemeni staff detained by Houthis -Blinken – Metro US

U.S. demands immediate release of Yemeni staff detained by Houthis -Blinken

FILE PHOTO: Houthi soldiers walk past the the U.S. embassy’s
FILE PHOTO: Houthi soldiers walk past the the U.S. embassy’s gate following a demonstration against the United States over its decision to designate the Houthis a foreign terrorist organisation, in Sanaa

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States condemns the detention of Yemeni staff of the U.S. embassy in Sanaa by the Houthi movement and demands their immediate release, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Friday.

Dozens of Yemeni citizens and their family members have been detained and mistreated by the Iran-aligned Houthis because they worked for the United States in a caretaker capacity since the embassy there closed in 2015, the statement said.

“The Houthis must immediately release unharmed all Yemeni employees of the United States, vacate the embassy compound, return seized property, and cease their threats,” Blinken said.

(Reporting by Chris Gallagher; Editing by Chris Reese)