States that are still supplying arms to the Saudi Arabia-led
coalition risk going down in history as being complicit in war crimes in
Yemen, Amnesty International said today, as the Spanish government
prepares to make a major decision on whether to suspend the transfer of
arms and military equipment to Saudi Arabia.
On 4 September, the Spanish government announced that it would cancel the sale of 400 laser-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia, following an international outcry over an airstrike on a school bus in Yemen which killed 40 children.
The Spanish government then reversed this decision on 12 September, citing the need to “honour a contract”. All deals with Saudi Arabia, made under the previous Spanish government, have been under review for the past few weeks and a final decision will be taken on Wednesday 19 September on whether to revoke existing licences and suspend new ones.
“Campaigners barely had time to welcome the news that Spain was cancelling a major arms shipment to Saudi Arabia before the government began backpedaling to appease its wealthy customer. After more than three years of devastating civil war in Yemen, thousands of dead civilians and an ever-growing list of apparent war crimes, there is no possible excuse for Spain, or any other country, to continue to arm the Saudi Arabia-led coalition,” said Steve Cockburn, Deputy Director of Global Issues at Amnesty International.
“We are urging the Spanish government to take a stand on Wednesday and suspend arms transfers to Saudi Arabia and other members of the coalition for use in Yemen. Any other course of action will send an unmistakable message that the Spanish government cares more about protecting its financial interests than protecting the lives of Yemeni civilians.”
Between 2015 and 2017, Spain exported arms to Saudi Arabia worth EUR 932 million and authorised licences worth EUR 1,235 million.
Precision guided munitions of the type which Spain plans to send to Saudi Arabia have been used to devastating effect across Yemen. They have struck hotels, hospitals, water wells, residential buildings, factories and most recently a school bus, resulting in appalling civilian casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure.
Spain has ratified the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which prohibits the transfer between states of weapons, munitions and related items when it is known that they would be used for war crimes, or where there is an overriding risk they could contribute to serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.
Spain’s own law on arms exports prohibits arms transfers when there is reasonable suspicion that they could be used in human rights violations.
Under the Geneva Conventions, Spain is also required to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law, including by refraining from supplying arms used to violate the Conventions.
On 4 September, the Spanish government announced that it would cancel the sale of 400 laser-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia, following an international outcry over an airstrike on a school bus in Yemen which killed 40 children.
The Spanish government then reversed this decision on 12 September, citing the need to “honour a contract”. All deals with Saudi Arabia, made under the previous Spanish government, have been under review for the past few weeks and a final decision will be taken on Wednesday 19 September on whether to revoke existing licences and suspend new ones.
“Campaigners barely had time to welcome the news that Spain was cancelling a major arms shipment to Saudi Arabia before the government began backpedaling to appease its wealthy customer. After more than three years of devastating civil war in Yemen, thousands of dead civilians and an ever-growing list of apparent war crimes, there is no possible excuse for Spain, or any other country, to continue to arm the Saudi Arabia-led coalition,” said Steve Cockburn, Deputy Director of Global Issues at Amnesty International.
“We are urging the Spanish government to take a stand on Wednesday and suspend arms transfers to Saudi Arabia and other members of the coalition for use in Yemen. Any other course of action will send an unmistakable message that the Spanish government cares more about protecting its financial interests than protecting the lives of Yemeni civilians.”
Between 2015 and 2017, Spain exported arms to Saudi Arabia worth EUR 932 million and authorised licences worth EUR 1,235 million.
Precision guided munitions of the type which Spain plans to send to Saudi Arabia have been used to devastating effect across Yemen. They have struck hotels, hospitals, water wells, residential buildings, factories and most recently a school bus, resulting in appalling civilian casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure.
Spain has ratified the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which prohibits the transfer between states of weapons, munitions and related items when it is known that they would be used for war crimes, or where there is an overriding risk they could contribute to serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.
Spain’s own law on arms exports prohibits arms transfers when there is reasonable suspicion that they could be used in human rights violations.
Under the Geneva Conventions, Spain is also required to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law, including by refraining from supplying arms used to violate the Conventions.
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