OPEN LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU

We are publishing this letter from the women Nobel Peace Prize laureates to Prime Minister Trudeau, adding that the suspension of arms sales to these countries, including France, means respecting the arms trade treaty and their international commitments.

SIX NOBEL PEACE LAUREATES CALL ON PRIME MINISTER TRUDEAU TO REINSTATE BAN ON MILITARY EXPORTS TO SAUDI ARABIA

The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister 80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2 

1 May 2020

Dear Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,

As Nobel Peace laureates, we are deeply concerned by Canada lifting its moratorium on military exports to Saudi Arabia. Although we applaud Canada’s recent decision to extend, indefinitely, its ban on new arms exports to Turkey, a similar ban must remain in place for Saudi Arabia.

On April 8, Saudi Arabia declared a two-week ceasefire in Yemen. The next day, in the midst of a global pandemic and as Yemen announced its first COVID-19 case, Canada announced it would lift its military equipment ban to Riyadh—and resume exports of light-armoured vehicles to Saudia Arabia. This contradicts your government’s support of the UN Secretary General’s appeal for a global ceasefire.

Your government had, rightfully, suspended the sale of military equipment to Saudi Arabia following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. Unfortunately, the human rights situation inside Saudi Arabia has not changed.

Saudi-Arabia holds one of the worst human rights records in the world. It is also a leading player in the protracted conflict in Yemen, which has resulted in the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Thousands of civilians have been killed and injured, and tens of millions of people experience food insecurity and are on the brink of famine.

We strongly believe that instead of arming Saudia Arabia, Canada should focus on the ceasefire and its very narrow window for peace, by investing resources and diplomatic expertise in an inclusive process to bring relief and lasting peace to Yemen.

Resuming arms sales during a global pandemic—or at any time—does not reflect positively on Canada’s feminist leadership. On the contrary, it further endangers ordinary civilians inside Saudi Arabia and Yemen, in particular, women.

We call on Canada to live up to its own commitment to “put armed conflict on lockdown” by:

• Re-instating, immediately, the freeze on all military exports to Saudi Arabia and put an end to the arms deal.
• Calling on all warring parties to abide by the UN call for a global ceasefire.
• Ensuring the safety of women calling for peace.
• Working to keep peace processes alive and build peace during this global pandemic.

 

Canada cannot call itself a global leader for peace while simultaneously supplying weapons of war.

Sincerely,

Tawakkol Karman, Nobel Peace Laureate (2011) – Yemen
Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Laureate (2003) – Iran
Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Laureate (2011) – Liberia
Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Laureate, (1976) – Northern Ireland
Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Nobel Peace Laureate (1992) – Guatemala
Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Laureate (1997) – USA

Actions juridiques

First victory the Saudi cargo “of shame” Bahri Yanbu diverted could not load the Caesar guns in the port of Le Havre

PRESS RELEASE

Paris, the 10th of May 2019

 

Today, May 10, 2019, the Saudi cargo ship Bahri Yanbu didn’t load the 8 Caesar guns of the national company Nexter. ACTION SECURITE ETHIQUE REPUBLICAINES (ASER) and Action des Chrétiens pour l’Abolition de la Torture (ACAT) had filed a summary judgment with the Paris Administrative Court on 9 May 2019.

While it is surprising to note that the rejection of the interim release order introduced by ACAT for a reason of « absence of imminent danger » in a war that killed nearly 100,000 people, the court nevertheless recognises the harm to life that would be caused by the transfer of this war material.

However, this urgency is confirmed by the worsening humanitarian situation in Yemen. A report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimates the number of deaths at more than 230,000 by the end of 2019, including more than 140,000 children under the age of 5 if the conflict continues with such intensity

This decision, which we regret, in no way prejudges the solution that will be brought by the Paris Administrative Court to the suspension injunction introduced by ASER on Tuesday, May 7, 2019 and even less to the appeal for excess of power filed on May 7, 2018.

The recent publication by the independent media Disclose, which proves that the French government was aware of the use in Yemen of French weapons sold to the coalition, persuaded us of the urgency of this referral.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who chairs the Interministerial Commission for the Study of War Material Exports, is directly responsible for these exports and is accountable to parliamentarians and citizens for the violation of France’s international commitments and specifically Article 6 of the Arms Trade Treaty.

ASER has been granted ECOSOC Special Consultative Status at the United Nations

ASER is a member of the International Action Network on small arms

Contacts : http://aser-asso.org

For interview requests or participation in a program on the issue of weapons/ human rights : Benoît Muracciole : +337 72 33 40 45

La responsabilité des ministres et du Président de la République Emmanuel Macron est engagée par les livraisons d’armes dans la guerre au Yémen

French arms sales: the government no longer stops despite war crimes in Yemen

Today, Tuesday, May 7, 2019, the independent media Disclose informs us that the Saudi flagged cargo ship Bahri Yabun is due to arrive tomorrow, Wednesday, May 8, in Le Havre to load Caesar guns produced by Nexter, a company owned by the French government.

If this information is accurate, for Action Sécurité Ethique Républicaines (ASER) – which has filed an urgente procedure in its appeal pending before the Paris Administrative Court – the French goverment will be in flagrant breach of Article 6 (paras 2 and 3) of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

Indeed, since 2016, the first reports of United Nations experts and NGOs have regularly denounced serious violations of international human rights law and the 1949 Geneva Conventions. It is no longer a question of risks of use (Article 7) but of potential uses of French weapons (Article 6(3)).

The French government would therefore continue to violate its international commitments « in full knowledge of the facts » at a time when the report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) speaks of more than 230,000 deaths to come for this conflict at the end of 2019[1].

Neither the French Head of Government, Edouard Philippe, nor the Head of State, Emmanuel Macron, can ignore the reports of the United Nations and NGOs that regularly denounce serious violations of international human rights law and the 1949 Geneva Conventions.

The repeated negations of the Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly contrast with the evidence of the war revealed by Disclose: French weapons are involved in war crimes in Yemen.

It is unacceptable that on our behalf the French government is adding war to war in this way, against all the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council since 2016 on Yemen.

ASER has special ECOSOC consultative status at the United Nations
ASER is a member of the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA)

[1] if the war keep the same intensity : http://www.arabstates.undp.org/content/rbas/en/home/library/crisis-response0/assessing-the-impact-of-war-on-development-in-yemen-.html

 

ACTION SECURITE ETHIQUE REPUBLICAINES introduces an urgent procedure to stop the sale of French weapons involved in war crimes in Yemen

PRESS RELEASE

Today, May 6, 2019, ACTION SECURITE ETHIQUE REPUBLICAINES (ASER) filed for interim relief in its appeal before the Paris Administrative Court. ASER calls for the suspension of arms transfers to the countries of the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, responsible for war crimes, or even crimes against humanity, in Yemen.

The recent publication by the independent media Disclose, which proves that the French government was aware of the use in Yemen of French weapons sold to the coalition, persuaded us of the urgency of this referral.

The Minister of the Armed Forces continued to deny the facts before the Senate on April 30, justifying the continuation of arms sales to fight Al Qaeda.  We remind Florence Parly that ASER has informed the Presidency since 2016 that the war has strengthened Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in particular. The repeated refusal to set up a parliamentary committee of inquiry strengthens our legal approach for ASER.

This urgency is also confirmed by the worsening humanitarian situation in Yemen. A report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimates the number of deaths at more than 230,000 by the end of 2019, including more than 140,000 children under the age of 5 if the conflict continues with such intensity.

It is also on the basis of this latest information that the US Senate voted, on Thursday, May 2, for the 3rd time against his government’s military support for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates by 53 votes in favour and 45 against. This is despite President Trump’s announcement that the United States is withdrawing from the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

ASER has special ECOSOC consultative status at the United Nations

ASER is an IANSA member

Contacts : http://aser-asso.org

For interview requests or participation in a program on the issue of weapons/ human rights : Benoît Muracciole : +337 72 33 40 45