US Calls on Yemen's Houthi Rebels to Release Detained American Teacher

The US Department of State urged the Houthis to "immediately release" any US citizens they have captured. The Houthis allegedly kidnapped an American teacher.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Houthi rebels in Yemen should immediately release a captured US citizen, Department of State spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The United States is monitoring the situation in Yemen very closely and calls on the Houthis to immediately release any US citizens currently being held," the statement said.

Last Thursday, local media reported that rebels aligned with the Houthis had kidnapped American teacher Peter Willems from the Exceed Language Center in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. The school’s website identifies Willems as its academic coordinator.

A member of the Houthi Revolutionary Committee posted Willems’ photo in a Twitter message on Thursday and accused the teacher of espionage, alleging that he passed coordinates to the Saudi Arabia-led coalition fighting the rebels.

For privacy reasons, the State Department typically does not publicly identify Americans detained abroad.

Willems is listed as the author of numerous articles and commentary on Yemen’s political situation. According to local reports, he has lived in the country since 2004.