"Saudi Arabia has a terrible human rights record and governments...must stop supporting it." (Photo: AFP)
Mar 16, 2016
Dutch lawmakers called on their government to ban weapons exports to Saudi Arabia over the kingdom's violations of humanitarian law, making the Netherlands the first country in the European Union (EU) to follow through on a motion by the European Parliament in February.
The landmark resolution, approved on Tuesday, asks the Dutch government to impose a full arms embargo on Saudi Arabia, including dual-use exports that could be used to violate human rights. The bill cites United Nations figures that Saudi-led troops have killed nearly 6,000 people in Yemen--half of them civilians.
The bill also noted the Saudi government's ongoing executions of its own citizens, many of them political dissidents.
The parliamentary vote puts additional pressure on other EU governments, such as Britain and France--Saudi Arabia's core suppliers of weapons, in addition to the U.S.--to enact a similar ban. According to the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), the UK has sold about $9.4 billion (PS6.7 billion) in weapons to the Saudi government under Prime Minister David Cameron's administration.
"Saudi Arabia has a terrible human rights record and governments like the UK must stop supporting it," Andrew Smith, CAAT spokesperson, told The Independent on Wednesday. "The bombardment of Yemen has lasted almost a year now and the humanitarian situation is desperate."
"The Dutch parliament has set an important precedent and it's time for other arms dealing governments to do the same," Smith said. "The decision can't just be temporary though, it must be permanent."
Rosa Curling, from a legal firm representing CAAT, toldSputnik News on Wednesday, "If there is a clear risk that arms exported from the UK might be used to violate international humanitarian law, the UK has a legal obligation not to grant licenses for the export of military equipment and arms.... We can see no reasonable basis upon which the government could conclude there is not such a risk in relation to exports to Saudi Arabia. The evidence is overwhelming."
*This article has been edited to clarify that the lawmakers called for a weapons embargo, but the government did not enact one.
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Nadia Prupis
Nadia Prupis is a former Common Dreams staff writer. She wrote on media policy for Truthout.org and has been published in New America Media and AlterNet. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BA in English in 2008.
Dutch lawmakers called on their government to ban weapons exports to Saudi Arabia over the kingdom's violations of humanitarian law, making the Netherlands the first country in the European Union (EU) to follow through on a motion by the European Parliament in February.
The landmark resolution, approved on Tuesday, asks the Dutch government to impose a full arms embargo on Saudi Arabia, including dual-use exports that could be used to violate human rights. The bill cites United Nations figures that Saudi-led troops have killed nearly 6,000 people in Yemen--half of them civilians.
The bill also noted the Saudi government's ongoing executions of its own citizens, many of them political dissidents.
The parliamentary vote puts additional pressure on other EU governments, such as Britain and France--Saudi Arabia's core suppliers of weapons, in addition to the U.S.--to enact a similar ban. According to the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), the UK has sold about $9.4 billion (PS6.7 billion) in weapons to the Saudi government under Prime Minister David Cameron's administration.
"Saudi Arabia has a terrible human rights record and governments like the UK must stop supporting it," Andrew Smith, CAAT spokesperson, told The Independent on Wednesday. "The bombardment of Yemen has lasted almost a year now and the humanitarian situation is desperate."
"The Dutch parliament has set an important precedent and it's time for other arms dealing governments to do the same," Smith said. "The decision can't just be temporary though, it must be permanent."
Rosa Curling, from a legal firm representing CAAT, toldSputnik News on Wednesday, "If there is a clear risk that arms exported from the UK might be used to violate international humanitarian law, the UK has a legal obligation not to grant licenses for the export of military equipment and arms.... We can see no reasonable basis upon which the government could conclude there is not such a risk in relation to exports to Saudi Arabia. The evidence is overwhelming."
*This article has been edited to clarify that the lawmakers called for a weapons embargo, but the government did not enact one.
Nadia Prupis
Nadia Prupis is a former Common Dreams staff writer. She wrote on media policy for Truthout.org and has been published in New America Media and AlterNet. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BA in English in 2008.
Dutch lawmakers called on their government to ban weapons exports to Saudi Arabia over the kingdom's violations of humanitarian law, making the Netherlands the first country in the European Union (EU) to follow through on a motion by the European Parliament in February.
The landmark resolution, approved on Tuesday, asks the Dutch government to impose a full arms embargo on Saudi Arabia, including dual-use exports that could be used to violate human rights. The bill cites United Nations figures that Saudi-led troops have killed nearly 6,000 people in Yemen--half of them civilians.
The bill also noted the Saudi government's ongoing executions of its own citizens, many of them political dissidents.
The parliamentary vote puts additional pressure on other EU governments, such as Britain and France--Saudi Arabia's core suppliers of weapons, in addition to the U.S.--to enact a similar ban. According to the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), the UK has sold about $9.4 billion (PS6.7 billion) in weapons to the Saudi government under Prime Minister David Cameron's administration.
"Saudi Arabia has a terrible human rights record and governments like the UK must stop supporting it," Andrew Smith, CAAT spokesperson, told The Independent on Wednesday. "The bombardment of Yemen has lasted almost a year now and the humanitarian situation is desperate."
"The Dutch parliament has set an important precedent and it's time for other arms dealing governments to do the same," Smith said. "The decision can't just be temporary though, it must be permanent."
Rosa Curling, from a legal firm representing CAAT, toldSputnik News on Wednesday, "If there is a clear risk that arms exported from the UK might be used to violate international humanitarian law, the UK has a legal obligation not to grant licenses for the export of military equipment and arms.... We can see no reasonable basis upon which the government could conclude there is not such a risk in relation to exports to Saudi Arabia. The evidence is overwhelming."
*This article has been edited to clarify that the lawmakers called for a weapons embargo, but the government did not enact one.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.