Tories abstain as European parliament overwhelmingly backs EU-wide arms embargo on Saudi Arabia

Pressure on Theresa May to stop arms sales grows

The European parliament has called for an EU-wide arms embargo against Saudi Arabia, piling pressure on Theresa May to follow Angela Merkel’s lead and suspend weapons sales to the autocracy.

The vote comes the same day as Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor confirmed that the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was “premeditated”, and amid renewed calls for the west to stop supplying the country’s bloody war in Yemen.

British Conservative MEPs were branded “disgraceful” after they abstained in a specific vote on whether to impose the arms embargo on the kingdom, which passed 242 votes to 23 – though they ultimately backed a wider motion condemning the Saudi’s conduct.

Angela Merkel this week urged Germany’s allies to follow her lead in ending arms sales after the “monstrous” killing, but other countries have been slow to react.

The UK, which is now one of the world’s biggest arms exporters, has licensed almost £5bn worth of arms to Saudi Arabia since the Yemen war began in March 2015, including billions in bombs, missiles and aircraft.

Spain, too, has said it will go ahead with arms sales to the country, including 400 laser-guided bombs, amid protests by shipyard workers who worry jobs building warships for the Saudis could be lost if contracts are abandoned.

Human rights groups say they have identified “scores of homes, schools, hospitals, markets and mosques” destroyed by Saudi coalition warplanes during the bombardment of Yemen.

European governments have poured billions of pounds worth of arms into one of the worst war zones in the world. These arms sales have had deadly consequences.

Andrew Smith, Campaign Against The Arms Trade

Saudi Arabia launched operations in Yemen under on the basis of defending the internationally recognised government against a rebellion. The war quickly degenerated into a humanitarian catastrophe, however, with an estimated two-thirds of the population relying on aid and eight million on the brink of starvation.

On Thursday one Saudi airstrike on a market near the city of Hodeida killed at least 21 civilians, including children, the UN humanitarian aid agency said.

“Civilians are paying a shocking price because of this conflict,” UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, Lise Grande, said. “This is the third time this month that fighting has caused mass casualties in Hodeida.”

Back in Brussels, MEPs were swift to condemn the Conservative MEPs’ vote. Labour MEP Wajid Khan, a member of the European parliament foreign affairs committee, said their abstention made a “mockery” of Ms May’s condemnations of Saudi Arabia.

“It is disgraceful that the Tories have once again failed to back an arms embargo – last time they voted against and this time they abstained, even after the shocking details have emerged of the brutal torture, murder and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi.

“Their actions make a mockery of Theresa May’s condemnations – we can now see her words for what they are: meaningless, disingenuous and designed to deceive.

“The accounts of what happened in the Saudi consulate are truly shocking and stomach-turning, and we urge Turkey to ask the UN to initiate a credible and transparent investigation into this case.”

A spokesperson for Conservative MEPs told The Independent: “We support the strong condemnation of Saudi Arabia and back the European parliament resolution.

“By abstaining in the separate vote, we noted that the decision on whether to impose an arms embargo is a matter for member states, not the European parliament.”

Eight million people have been left on the brink of starvation in Yemen (Reuters) (Abdul Jabbar Zeyad/Reuters)

In fact, the resolution called on member states on the European Council “to reach a common position in order to impose an EU-wide arms embargo on Saudi Arabia”. The final resolution criticising Saudi Arabia was passed 325 votes to 1. The lone dissenter was Jiri Payne, a right-wing libertarian from the Czech Republic.

Charles Tannock, Conservative MEPs’ foreign affairs spokesperson, said: “We in the west had welcomed some of the recent reforms led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a state more often known for its internal social repression. However, we have also witnessed a young leader consolidating his power at home and intervening aggressively abroad.

“Clearly there are more details to emerge about this crime and an international investigation into the case, as called for by the UK, France and Germany, is needed. We are still awaiting answers and must send a strong collective message to Riyadh.”

Covadonga de la Campa, interim director of the Amnesty International EU office, said: “Amnesty International has documented scores of unlawful attacks committed by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition in Yemen, including indiscriminate and disproportionate airstrikes that have killed and injured civilians and destroyed scores of homes, schools, hospitals, markets and mosques.

“Given the clear evidence that arms could be used to commit serious violations in Yemen, all arms-supplying states must suspend arms transfers to Saudi Arabia and its coalition members.”

She added that the murder exposed “the limits of silent diplomacy when faced with a sharp and sustained disregard for human rights”.

Andrew Smith of Campaign Against Arms Trade said: “We are always being told that the European Union stands for human rights, equality and democracy, but European governments have poured billions of pounds worth of arms into one of the worst war zones in the world. These arms sales have had deadly consequences.

“The Saudi-led war and blockade has created a terrible humanitarian crisis, and European governments, including the UK, have supported it from day one. Theresa May and other key leaders must end their support for the Saudi regime and its terrible bombardment.”

The murder of the journalist Mr Khashoggi has drawn more attention to Saudi Arabia’s conduct in other areas. Writing in The New York Times, former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders called for a halt to arms sales, arguing the killing “underscores how urgent it has become for the United States to redefine our relationship with Saudi Arabia, and to show that the Saudis do not have a blank check to continue violating human rights”.

The late Mr Khashoggi’s son Salah and his family were reported to have left the Saudi capital of Riyadh today, said to be on their way to US. The family had been subject to a travel ban.