IT was great to hear that the Court of Appeal has ruled that UK’s continued arms sales to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen’s brutal war are unlawful.
The Campaign Against the Arms Trade argued that UK fighter jets and bombs are being used to kill civilians and violate international law. The Court of Appeal concluded that it was “irrational and therefore unlawful” for the International Trade Secretary to have licensed weapons exports without assessing whether past incidents broke international law and if there was a “clear risk” of future breaches.
Judges found that although the UK had “engaged closely” with Riyadh in attempt to minimise civilian casualties in Yemen, that fell short of the legal obligation to assess the risk of war crimes.
No matter what atrocities it has inflicted, the Saudi regime has been able to count on the uncritical political and military support of the UK.
The bombing has created the worst humanitarian crisis in the world and thousands of people have been killed in Saudi-led bombing. Many more have died as a result of an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe including a cholera outbreak and starvation.
UK arms companies have profited every step of the way and must immediately follow the lead of the likes of Germany, the Netherlands and Finland in immediately ceasing arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
The man who was the Foreign Secretary in the period considered by the judgment, who signed off the export licences and should therefore be held responsible, was none other than Tory leadership frontrunner, Boris Johnson.
Alex Orr
Edinburgh
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