Britain broke law in allowing arms exports to Saudis: court
Source: Reuters
WORLD NEWS JUNE 20, 2019 / 5:35 AM / UPDATED 12 HOURS AGO
Britain broke law in allowing arms exports to Saudis: court
Paul Sandle, Guy Faulconbridge
6 MIN READ
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain broke the law by allowing arms sales to Saudi Arabia that might have been deployed in the war in Yemen, an English court ruled on Thursday after activists said there was evidence the weapons had been used in violation of human rights statutes.
While the courts decision does not mean Britain must immediately halt arms exports to Saudi Arabia, it does mean that there is a stay on the granting of new export licenses to sell arms to the kingdom - Britains biggest weapons purchaser.
The United Nations has described the conflict in Yemen, which has killed tens of thousands of people including thousands of civilians, as the worlds worst humanitarian crisis.
The Court of Appeal has concluded that the process of decision-making by the government was wrong in law in one significant respect, said Terence Etherton, Englands second most senior judge.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-britain/britain-broke-law-in-allowing-arms-exports-to-saudis-court-idUSKCN1TL0YP