Campaigners today won the right to launch a fresh legal challenge against the UK selling arms to Saudi Arabia.
The Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) want a ban to be imposed amid claims the Kingdom is breaching international human rights law in the war in Yemen.
The High Court ruled last year that the sales could go ahead despite concerns about the humanitarian impact. But today two Court of Appeal judges gave the green light to campaigners to appeal the decision.
CAAT point out that thousands of people have been killed as a result of the bombing on Yemen. And many more have died as a result of the humanitarian catastrophe that has taken root in the war-torn country.
Since the bombing of Yemen began in March 2015, the UK has licensed £4.6 billion worth of arms to the Saudi regime. This includes £2.7 billion worth of ML10 licences – which includes aircraft, helicopters and drones. And a further £1.9 billion worth of ML4 licences – handed out for grenades, bombs, and missiles – have also been sold.