Take action: no more arms sales to human rights abusing regimes
The UK government approves arms exports each year to regimes committing human rights abuses, including war crimes. This has included billions of pounds worth of arms sales to Saudi Arabia, which has killed thousands of civilians in Yemen. It also includes arms exports to authoritarian states such as Turkey and Bahrain, and to the Israeli military for use in its brutal and systematic repression of Palestinians.
On paper, the UK has strict rules that forbid the export of arms for aggression or repression. But in practice, the UK sells weapons and military technology to dozens of human rights-abusing regimes, including countries on the UK Foreign Office's own watch list for international human rights concerns.
In 2019, campaigners took the government to court over its arms sales to Saudi Arabia, and they won! The Court ruled that it was unlawful for the government to have approved exports to Saudi Arabia. The government has since resumed arms sales to Saudi Arabia – despite another legal challenge in 2023, sales were shamefully allowed to continue. This shows that campaign pressure can work, but the fight is far from over.
The problem is a system that allowed for these deadly exports to be approved in the first place. That's why we are asking you to take a stand today.
Please can you email your MP today to push the UK government to end arms sales to all human rights abusing regimes?
