Belgium’s highest administrative court on Friday suspended arms export licenses to Saudi Arabia.
The Council of State decided to suspend by an emergency ruling the Wallonian minister-president’s decision on granting licenses to several Belgian companies to export arms to Saudi Arabia.
THE DECISION CAME AMID YEMEN CONFLICT
Elio di Rupo, the minister-president of the country’s southern region, gave authorization to two Wallonia-based arms companies, FN Herstal and CMI Defence, to sell weapons to the Saud Arabia’s National Guard and Royal Guard in early July.
Licenses were meant to replace previous decisions canceled by the highest administrative court.
The new authorizations were again brought to the Council of State by human rights and anti-war associations, claiming Saudi Arabia might use the military equipment to intervene in Yemen.
“It cannot be excluded that there is a real risk for the weapons … to be used in the context of the conflict in Yemen or to contribute to internal repression,” according to the decision.