In Belgium, the State Council decided to suspend four licenses to export weapons from the Wallonia region in the south of the country to the Saudi National Guard.
This came after three Belgian human rights organizations appealed against the decision of the President of the Wallonia region last November, to re-issue weapons licenses to Saudi Arabia.
In March and August of last year, the Council of State in Belgium issued decisions suspending these licenses.
Based on the judicial decision, the agreement between the Saudi National Guard and the Royal Guard with the Belgian arms companies “FN Herstal” and “CMI Defense” was canceled.
The three organizations said in a joint statement that it has become urgent for the Wallonia region to realize that its decisions regarding granting licenses to export weapons to Saudi Arabia are not justified under international and regional law.
It added that despite the decisions of the Belgian Federal Parliament and the European Parliament regarding human rights violations in Yemen, Wallonia continued to export weapons to the parties involved in the conflict.
The European Parliament had previously called for a ban on arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, due to their involvement in the Yemeni war.
Belgium suspends licenses to export weapons to the Saudi Guard
In Belgium, the State Council decided to suspend four licenses to export weapons from the Wallonia region in the south of the country to the Saudi National Guard.
This came after three Belgian human rights organizations appealed against the decision of the President of the Wallonia region last November, to re-issue weapons licenses to Saudi Arabia.
In March and August of last year, the Council of State in Belgium issued decisions suspending these licenses.
Based on the judicial decision, the agreement between the Saudi National Guard and the Royal Guard with the Belgian arms companies “FN Herstal” and “CMI Defense” was canceled.
The three organizations said in a joint statement that it has become urgent for the Wallonia region to realize that its decisions regarding granting licenses to export weapons to Saudi Arabia are not justified under international and regional law.
It added that despite the decisions of the Belgian Federal Parliament and the European Parliament regarding human rights violations in Yemen, Wallonia continued to export weapons to the parties involved in the conflict.
The European Parliament had previously called for a ban on arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, due to their involvement in the Yemeni war.
