Videos released by the Houthis on July 27, 2025, showing several crew members from a sunken ship who apparently have been detained for weeks is an outrage on their personal dignity, an apparent war crime.
The Houthis, who control much of Yemen, attacked and sunk the Eternity C, a commercial ship, earlier in July. In the videos, the crew members repeat the Houthis’ false claims that the ship had been headed to Israel, raising concerns that they are being forced to make false confessions.
The Houthis attacked the Eternity C as well as another ship, Magic Seas, between July 6 and 8. The attacks killed at least four of the Eternity C’s 25 crew members and ultimately caused both ships to sink. The Houthis have stated that they “rescued” 10 crew members and have continued to detain them without lawful justification.
Human Rights Watch previously found that the attacks on both ships were apparent war crimes.
The Houthis, who have been attacking ships they claim have a relationship to Israel on the grounds that they are supporting the Palestinians in Gaza, claimed that the Eternity C was en route to an Israeli port. However, the ship had been heading to Saudi Arabia from Somalia after delivering humanitarian aid for the United Nations World Food Programme. The videos show the crew members repeating the Houthis’ claims.
This is not the first time the Houthis have released videos of what are very likely coerced confessions. In June 2024, Houthi authorities released videos and curated social media posts on the Houthi-affiliated TV channel, Al-Masirah, showing detained Yemeni men confessing that they were spying for the United States and Israel. Human Rights Watch has previously documented the Houthis’ use of torture to obtain confessions.
The Houthis have provided no legal basis for detaining the crew members, nine of whom are from the Philippines, according to the Philippine Department of Migrant Workers. The Houthis should immediately release the crew members and allow them to return to their home countries and families.
