A legal case was filed at the Paris Administrative Court by civil society organisations and media institutions over weapons sold by France to Saudi Arabia and the UAE that were used in the war in Yemen.
According to a joint statement issued by Amnesty International, the European Center for the Constitution and Human Rights (ECCHR) and the “Disclose” media foundation, a lawsuit was filed for the first time before a court in France, to disclose documents related to the Paris arms sales.
The statement pointed out that “there is a considerable risk that these exported weapons are used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law, affecting the civilian population in Yemen.”, adding that the refusal to reveal information regarding these exports violates the right of the public to obtain information regarding controversial topics.
The statement stressed that the request to disclose these documents was based on the right of access to administrative documents provided by law.
The statement also revealed that Saudi Arabia and the UAE used 70 French fighters simultaneously during the Yemen war, in addition to tanks exported by France to the UAE in the 1990s.
For nearly 7 years, Yemen has been going through a war that has killed more than 233,000 people, and 80% of the population (30 million people) has become dependent on aid to survive the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, according to the United Nations.
The conflict became further complicated with the involvement of regional parties. Since March 2015, an Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been carrying out military operations in support of government forces against the Iranian-backed Houthis, who control several governorates, including the capital, Sanaa.
Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK) has repeatedly condemned the silence of the international community on the oppression and humiliation practiced by the UAE in Yemen, in addition to the humanitarian disasters inflicted on Yemen with weapons imported directly from European countries and the US who claim to respect and preserve human rights.
AOHR UK called for the international community to take serious action to stop the crimes of the UAE against innocent citizens and to work on releasing all Yemeni detainees, and the closure of all prisons controlled by the UAE.
AOHR UK also called for ending the six-year war, which has become an international war since the Saudi-Emirati intervention there, in addition to their imposition of a total siege on Yemen, the spread of deadly epidemics, and poverty reaching record levels, especially in light of a looming severe famine according to the UN.
