The statement confirmed that dozens of Yemeni citizens and their family members were arrested and subjected to ill-treatment by the Houthi militia, because of their temporary work with the United States since the embassy was closed there in 2015.
“The Houthis must immediately release unharmed all Yemeni employees of the United States, evacuate the embassy compound, return confiscated property, and stop making threats,” Blinken said.
On Thursday, the UN Security Council condemned in the “strongest terms” the Houthi militia’s seizure of the US embassy in Sanaa, calling for the release of employees still detained by the Houthis.
In a statement, the 15 council members called for the “immediate withdrawal of all Houthi elements from the site” and the “immediate and safe release of those still detained.”
The statement added that the Vienna International Conventions prohibit any intrusion into diplomatic premises, which “must be respected and protected.”
A week ago, the United States called for the immediate release of Yemeni employees of the American Embassy who were arrested in Sanaa after the Houthi militia stormed its offices.
The US embassy in Sanaa has been closed since 2015, when the United States moved its diplomatic staff to Riyadh.
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