The Houthi group recently attacked and sank the commercial ship Eternity C, which had set sail from Somalia carrying humanitarian aid for the United Nations World Food Programme. The ship was bound for Saudi Arabia, but the Houthi group claims it was heading to Israel.
On July 27, the Houthi group released videos showing several of the ship’s crew members who appeared to have been held for weeks. The videos show the sailors being allegedly coerced into making false statements, raising concerns that their confessions were coerced. This is considered a violation of human dignity and a clear war crime.
The attack on the Eternity C and another ship, the Magic Seas, between July 6 and 8, killed at least four of the 25 crew members on board the Eternity C, and both ships eventually sank. The Houthis said they rescued 10 crew members, but they are still holding them without any legal basis.
Human Rights Watch has previously said the attacks appear to be war crimes and targeted civilian vessels.
The Houthis often claim to be targeting ships affiliated with Israel, in a show of support for the Palestinians in Gaza. In this case, the Eternity C was a ship carrying food aid to people in need.
This is not the first time the Houthis have released videos. In June 2024, they released videos and documents showing Yemeni men confessing to spying for the United States and Israel, which Human Rights Watch said the crew were subjected to torture and intimidation.
The Houthis have yet to provide any legal basis for their detention of the crew, nine of whom are from the Philippines, according to the country’s Ministry of Expatriates.
