Campaigners protest at PM's trip to Saudi Arabia in wake of mass executions

Prime Minister Boris Johnson went to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday evening to negotiate an increase in oil supply, to replace Russian gas. Campaigners have expressed concern that this trip - in the wake of Saudi Arabia's largest-ever mass execution - sends a clear signal the most grievous human rights abuses and killings can take place with impunity so long as international trade continues.

Saudi Arabia executed 81 men on Saturday 12 March, the largest mass execution in the country's modern history, as Europe's attention continues to focus on reacting to the horrors of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) point out that rather than condemn this brutal loss of life the Prime Minister is rewarding the Saudi regime with increased UK dependency not only as its largest arms customer but now as fossil fuel supplier of choice.

Katie Fallon from CAAT said: "The Prime Minister wrote yesterday that west's reliance on Russian fuel has "emboldened" Putin to bomb civilians during his invasion of Ukraine. This relationship is clearly mirrored by the UK's reliance on arms sales to Saudi Arabia, which has emboldened Saudi Arabia to commit violations of International Humanitarian Law in Yemen with impunity, as well as ending the only UN mechanism investigative mechanism into violations by all parties to the conflict.

This trip signals that the Prime Minister plans not only to replicate but to entrench another trading relationship with a murderous regime with no regard for the right to life of their own citizens, yet alone those of another country such as Yemen. When we ask ourselves how did Russia feel so emboldened as to invade Ukraine indiscriminately targeting civilians throughout the first three weeks of this devastating war, the answer lies in decades of silence, excuses and short-sighted self-interest illustrated perfectly by the unconscionable actions of the Prime Minister."

The seven year anniversary of the Saudi-led Coalition's devastating bombardment of Yemen - and ongoing humanitarian disaster - takes place on 26th March. CAAT estimates that the total value of arms sales to the Saudi-led Coalition since the beginning of the war is more than £22 billion.

On many occasions Pope Francis has spoken out against the arms trade. In his September 2015 speech to the US Congress, he said Christians must ask: "why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society?"

"Sadly, the answer, as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood. In the face of this shameful and culpable silence, it is our duty to confront the problem and to stop the arms trade," he said.

In 2018, Pope Francis revised the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church to describe the death penalty as "an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person" that is "inadmissible" in all cases.

LINK

CAAT - www.caat.org.uk