A report from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) accused the United States, France and the UK of possibly being complicit in numerous war crimes that have taken place in Yemen.
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"On various legal bases, the legality of arms transfers by France, the United Kingdom, the United States and other States to parties to the Yemeni conflict remains questionable," UN said.
"This question is currently the subject of various domestic court proceedings and parliamentary debates.
"Notwithstanding the outcome of these proceedings, the Group of Experts observes that the continued supply of weapons to parties involved in the conflict in Yemen perpetuates the conflict and the suffering of the population."
"The parties to the conflict in Yemen are responsible for an array of human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law. Some of these violations are likely to amount to war crimes."
The UNHRC’s Group of Eminent International and Regional Experts on Yemen published a report Tuesday that called for the U.S., France and the UK to halt the trade of arms and support to a Saudi-led coalition that is known to use starvation of civilians as a war tactic.
According to the 274-page document, the names of over 160 top military and political individuals belonging to Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as well as the Houthi movement, have been forwarded to the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, though the report did not clarify whether any of these “main actors” are potential suspects of war crimes.
“International humanitarian law strictly prohibits starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare, in both international and non-international armed conflicts, as enshrined in treaty law and recognised under customary international humanitarian law,” reads the document.
Shellings, sniper fire, airstrikes, landmines, arbitrary killings, torture and other abuses in Yemen were also attributed to the Saudi-led coalition. Additionally, the report noted that members of the Houthi movement have shelled cities and used “siege-like warfare” in their strikes against the Saudi coalition. ■
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