French Gov't Faces Legal Action over Arms Exports to Saudi Arabia, UAE

Rasa - Two human rights groups, namely legal non-governmental organization Droit Solidarite and Aser, which are focused on armaments, had given French premier Edouard Philippe a two-month ultimatum to halt the country’s arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and the time is nearly up.

News ID: 437553

Date: 07 May 2018 - 22:16

RNA - The two NGOs now say they are taking the case, which hasn’t been yet resolved, to the Conseil d’Etat, France’s highest legal authority, which advises the government on legislation and is also a chief arbiter in public policy rows, Sputnik reported.

Aser and Droit Solidarite said in a statement that the Conseil d’Etat is in a position to verify whether export licenses have been issued legally and authorized by the prime minister.

The aforementioned rights groups claim that France, the world’s third-biggest arms exporter, is acting in breach of international legislation as it caters to the interests of the Saudi-led coalition in its attacks against Yemen, long engulfed in a civil war.

According to Tasnim News Agancy, a legal report issued by Amnesty International and French human rights group ACAT in March, contained a warning that Paris and its chief weapons manufacturers and suppliers, including France’s major defense firms Dassault and Thales, face potential prosecution over their business ties with the Persian Gulf. It has reportedly sold a wealth of arms to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, such as Caesar artillery ammunition, sniper guns and armored vehicles.

In the meantime, a number of European countries have already suspended arms sales to parties in the Yemeni conflict. For instance, in late January, Steffan Seibert, a spokesperson for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, stated that Germany would scrap all arms exports to the embattled region.

The same month, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry announced the suspension of weapons and ammunition exports to the UAE citing increasing risks that they could be exploited in the war in Yemen. Meanwhile, France, the UK and the US have not followed suit.

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