Alwaght- Britain has exported almost £5bn worth of weapons to repressive regimes in course of less than 2 years, The Guardian reported.
The huge rise is largely down to a rise in orders from Saudi Arabia, but many other countries with controversial human rights records – including Azerbaijan, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates (UAE) – have also been major buyers.
The revelation comes before the Defence and Security Equipment International arms fair at the Excel centre in east London, one of the largest shows of its kind in the world.
Campaigners called on the government to end arms sales to the United Arab Emirates in light of its record on human rights. They accused the government of negotiating trade deals to sell the Gulf state cyber surveillance technology which the UAE government uses to spy on its citizens, and weaponry which has been used to commit war crimes in Yemen.
The Saudis have historically been a major buyer of British-made weapons, but the rise in sales to other countries signals a shift in emphasis on the part of the British government, which is keen to support the defence industry, which employs more than 55,000 people.
Saudi Arabia has launched a bloody aggression on neighboring Yemen in August 2015 to undermine Ansarullah movement and restore power to resigned president Abd Rabbah Masur Hadi.
The 29-month war has reportedly killed 13,000 Yemenis and wounded some 50,000 more.
The west-backed Bahraini regime's human rights record is also dire as many human rights group blame Manama for cracking down opposition.
Anti-regime protesters have held demonstrations in Bahrain on an almost daily basis ever since a popular uprising began in the country on February 14, 2011. People have been demanding that the Al Khalifah dynasty relinquish power and a just system representing all Bahrainis be established.
Many people have lost their lives and hundreds of others sustained injuries or been arrested, illegally detained and brutally tortured while many have seen their citizenship revoked. In March 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — themselves repressive Arab regimes — were deployed to aid Bahrain in its brutal crackdown.
Campaign Against the Arms Trade has found that of the 49 countries that are classed as “not free” by Freedom House 36 have bought British-made weapons under the current British government.
"Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has agreed orders for more than £3.75bn worth of British defence equipment – mainly bombs and fighter aircraft – up from £160m in the 22 months leading up to the election. Even when Saudi’s massive order book is stripped out, arms exports to repressive regimes have almost doubled since the Tory government was elected: orders to such countries, excluding Saudi, amount to almost £1.2bn, compared with £680m in the 22 months before the election," Guardian reported.
