UK Faces Fresh Legal Challenge Over Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia
The Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) has launched a High Court case accusing the UK government of fueling the deaths of thousands of civilians in Yemen. The group claims British arms exports to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen’s brutal nine-year war broke the law.
CAAT Slams UK’s 2020 Decision to Resume Arms Exports
CAAT is taking aim at the UK government’s 2020 move to restart weapon sales after a temporary halt. Following a 2019 Court of Appeal victory, CAAT forced a pause in exports because British law bans arms exports if there is a “clear risk” they’ll be used for war crimes.
But then trade minister Liz Truss gave the green light to resume sales, arguing any alleged violations were just “isolated incidents.” CAAT and human rights groups angrily reject this, claiming widespread humanitarian law violations linked to UK arms.
Critics Say UK Is Turning a Blind Eye to Yemen’s Bombing
Human Rights Watch’s Niku Jafarnia blasted the government’s findings. “The abundant evidence of laws of war violations by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen throughout the war shows these are not simply ‘isolated incidents,’” she said.
Data from the Civilian Impact Monitoring Project revealed civilian casualties nearly doubled in the months after arms exports resumed, underscoring CAAT’s claims.
“The evidence is clear that Yemeni civilians have died and continue to die as a result of weapons sales authorised by the UK government,” Jafarnia warned. “The UK must apply the same rules it uses to condemn Russia and halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia.”
£23 Billion in Arms Sales Under Fire
CAAT estimates the UK has pocketed over £23 billion ($28 billion) from arms exports to Saudi Arabia since the war began. Despite a US partial ban on weapons sales to the kingdom, British arms shipments have carried on, drawing fierce criticism from campaigners demanding an end to what they call “blood money” exports.
