Arms trade to Mideast shows export control failure - Amnesty
UK: The US, Russia and European countries supplied weapons to
Middle East and North African governments before the Arab Spring despite
having evidence they could be used against protesters, Amnesty said.
The London-based rights group said the "loopholes" in arms export
restrictions showed the need for a comprehensive treaty. The findings
were included in a report entitled "Arms Transfers To The Middle East
And North Africa: Lessons For An Effective Arms Trade Treaty" which
examines arms transfers to Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen since
2005.
"These findings highlight the stark failure of existing arms export
controls, with all their loopholes, and underline the need for an
effective global arms trade treaty that takes full account of the need
to uphold human rights," said Amnesty International researcher Helen
Hughes.
The main weapons suppliers to the five countries included in the
report were Austria, Belgium, Britain, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France,
Germany, Italy, Russia, and the United States.
Amnesty added: "Governments that now say they stand in solidarity
with people across the Middle East and North Africa are the very same as
those who until recently supplied the weapons, bullets and military and
police equipment that were used to kill, injure and arbitrarily detain
thousands of peaceful protesters in states such as Tunisia and Egypt."
London,Thursday, AFP |