British Court Allows Arms Sales to Saudis, Rejecting Criticism Over Yemen

Photo

A British court ruled on Monday that Britain’s extensive sales of arms to Saudi Arabia are legal, rejecting claims by rights groups that the Saudis have violated international law by using those weapons to kill civilians in Yemen’s civil war.

The decision by London’s High Court was praised by Prime Minister Theresa May, who told Parliament that the ruling vindicated the government’s position that it strictly enforces the export of arms, the British news media reported.

But groups including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Oxfam denounced the ruling, saying the court had ignored evidence that the Saudis have devastated Yemen’s civilian population with indiscriminate attacks.

“This sets back arms control 25 years and gives ministers free rein to sell arms to countries even where there is clear evidence they are breaching international humanitarian law,” said Mark Goldring, the chief executive of Oxfam’s British branch. Human Rights Watch said the ruling was a “serious setback for efforts to hold the British government accountable for its arms sales to Saudi Arabia.”

A Saudi-led coalition has been bombing and blockading Yemen since March 2015 to help rout Houthi insurgents backed by Iran. The Houthis control large parts of the country, including the capital, Sana.

The war in Yemen has killed at least 10,000 people, displaced millions, led to an economic collapse and left many in danger of famine. It has also contributed to a cholera outbreak that by Monday had sickened more than 300,000 people, according to the Red Cross.

A coalition known as the Campaign Against Arms Trade had asked the court to block licenses for weapons exports to the Saudis. The group, which said it would appeal Monday’s ruling, argues that the sales violate a provision of Britain’s Export Control Act that says no license can be granted if “there is a clear risk that the items might be used in the commission of a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law.”

In dismissing the coalition’s claim, the court ruled that Britain’s Defense Ministry had access to a “wider and more sophisticated range of information” and that the Saudis had “sought positively to address concerns” that they respect international law.

The Saudis welcomed the ruling. A statement by the Saudi Royal Embassy’s Washington-based public relations firm, Qorvis MSLGroup, said the court had affirmed that Saudi Arabia had “upheld principles of international law.”