Scottish arms makers under pressure over ‘war crimes’ in Yemen

SCOTTISH-BASED arms makers may face investigation for their role in the Yemen war after a dossier was handed over to war crimes prosecutors.

Amnesty International believes executives at firms such as Raytheon, Thales and BAE Systems should be held accountable for their decisions at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague.

The companies, which have substantial bases in Fife and Glasgow, have always insisted they provide weapons to the

Saudi government under deals backed by the UK.

However, an official submission from the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights has called on ICC prosecutors to investigate whether high-ranking officials, from both European companies and governments, have criminal responsibility for supplying arms used by members of the Saudi Arabia/emirates-led military coalition in potential war crimes in Yemen.

The dossier, which runs to more than 300 pages, documents 26 airstrikes – on residential buildings, schools, hospitals, a museum and world heritage sites – which it claims may amount to war crimes.

Patrick Wilcken, Amnesty International’s arms control researcher, said: “The reality is that everybody involved in selling weapons to the Saudi Arabia/ Uae-led coalition bears some responsibility for how those weapons are used. Company executives have had ample time and access to plenty of reliable information to reassess their decisions to supply the coalition in the light of the horrific events in Yemen. Hiding behind flawed government decision-making is not good enough.”