Latest news with #armstrade
Russia Today
3 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Serbian firms secretly delivering ammunition to Ukraine
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has accused Serbian defense companies of using false documentation and third parties to covertly ship artillery shells, rockets, and small arms ammunition to Ukraine. The agency made the allegation in a statement published on its website on Wednesday, titled 'The Serbian Defense Industry Is Trying to Shoot Russia in the Back.' 'According to information received by the SVR, Serbian defense firms continue to supply ammunition to Kiev, in violation of the 'neutrality' declared by Belgrade,' the statement read. The SVR claimed that Serbian companies have used 'fake end-user certificates' to route weapons through Poland, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and other NATO countries, as well as unspecified African states. These arms, the agency said, later surfaced in Ukraine. According to the SVR, 100,000 rockets and howitzer shells, along with one million small arms rounds, have been transferred in this manner. Major Serbian weapons manufacturers, including the state-owned Yugoimport-SDPR, were allegedly complicit in the scheme. 'It seems that the desire of Serbian defense firms and their backers to profit from the bloodshed between brotherly Slavic nations has made them forget who their true friends are – and who their enemies are,' the SVR stated. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday that he had discussed ammunition exports during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in May. 'We have formed a working group with our Russian partners to establish the facts,' he told broadcaster RTS. Commenting on the SVR's claims, Vucic maintained that 'some of the statements that have been made are not true.' 'For example, they claim there is a contract with the Czech Republic. However, no permit has been issued, and no missiles have been delivered,' he said. 'I will certainly issue an order and a warning that if there is any suspicion of abuse of the so-called end-user policies –namely, the sending of ammunition to warzones – we should be informed immediately.' Vucic emphasized that Serbia maintains 'good relations' with both Russia and Ukraine. Russia and Serbia have enjoyed close historical and cultural ties since the 19th century. Belgrade has refused to impose sanctions on Moscow and has repeatedly warned against further escalation. Vucic has said he has resisted Western efforts to draw Serbia into a confrontation with Russia.
News.com.au
13-05-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Rights groups take UK govt to court over Israel arms sales
Rights groups and NGOs took the UK government to court on Tuesday accusing it of breaching international law by supplying fighter jet parts to Israel amid the war in Gaza. Supported by Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam and others, the Palestinian rights association Al-Haq is seeking to stop the government's export of UK-made components for Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets. Israel has used the US warplanes to devastating effect in Gaza and the West Bank -- both Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories -- and the head of Amnesty UK said Britain had failed to uphold its "legal obligation... to prevent genocide" by allowing the export of key jet parts to Israel. Around 50 protesters gathered outside court ahead of the hearings, waving Palestinian flags and placards with the words "STOP ARMING ISRAEL: STOP THE GENOCIDE". The plane's refuelling probe, laser targeting system, tyres, rear fuselage, fan propulsion system and ejector seat are all made in Britain, according to Oxfam, and lawyers supporting Al-Haq's case said the aircraft "could not keep flying without continuous supply of UK-made components". Opening their case against the government, lawyers said the UK's trade department had allowed exports of F-35 parts knowing there was a "clear risk" they would be used to commit violations of international law. It is not certain when a decision could be made following the four-day hearing at London's High Court, which marks the latest stage in a long-running legal battle. Lawyers for the Global Action Legal Network (GLAN) have said they launched the case soon after Israel's assault on Gaza began, following the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel by militants from Hamas. Israel has repeatedly denied accusations of genocide. The lawyers said the UK government had decided in December 2023 and again in April and May 2024 to continue arms sales to Israel, before suspending licences in September 2024 for weapons assessed as being for military use by the Israeli army in Gaza. The new Labour government suspended around 30 licences following a review of Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law. But the partial ban did not cover British-made parts for the advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets. A UK government spokesperson told AFP it was "not currently possible to suspend licensing of F-35 components for use by Israel without prejudicing the entire global F-35 programme, due to its strategic role in NATO and wider implications for international peace and security". "Within a couple of months of coming to office, we suspended relevant licences for the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) that might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law in Gaza," they said. - 'UK not a bystander' - The government insisted it had "acted in a manner consistent with our legal obligations" and was "committed to upholding our responsibilities under domestic and international law". But GLAN described the F-35 exemption as a "loophole" which allowed the components to reach Israel indirectly through a global pooling system. Charlotte Andrews-Briscoe, a lawyer for GLAN, told a briefing last week the UK government had "expressly departed from its own domestic law in order to keep arming Israel", with F-35s being used to drop "multi-ton bombs on the people of Gaza". The 2023 attack in southern Israel by militants from Palestinian group Hamas resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 52,862 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the territory's health ministry, whose figures the United Nations deems reliable. The figure includes at least 2,749 who have died since Israel ended a two-month ceasefire in mid-March. "Under the Genocide Convention, the UK has a clear legal obligation to do everything within its power to prevent genocide," said Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK's chief executive. "Yet the UK government continues to authorise the export of military equipment to Israel -- despite all the evidence that genocide is being committed by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza. "This is a fundamental failure by the UK to fulfil its obligations."
The Independent
13-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
UK government in High Court challenge over selling fighter jet parts to Israel
The UK 's right to sell F-35 fighter jet parts to the Israeli military will this week be the subject of a High Court case brought against the British government. In a long-running legal challenge, human rights' groups and lawyers have argued that the UK's sale of arms to Israel - despite the government's own assessment that Israel is not committed to complying with international humanitarian law in its destructive Gaza campaign - is unlawful. A four-day judicial review brought by Palestinian rights group Al-Haq will start in the High Court on Tuesday. If successful, it could force the government to quash a previous decision to not include F-35 fighter jet parts in the suspension of 30 arms licences to Israel. The government argues that suspending licences for F-35 parts would have damaging consequences for international peace and security. The case is backed by major rights organisations including Oxfam, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), which is representing Al-Haq in court. A number of left-wing MPs have also added their support. Dr Halima Begum, CEO of Oxfam GB, said the charity would provide evidence in court including 'detailed information on the widespread destruction of water, sanitation and health infrastructure, evidence of attacks on humanitarian aid workers, and restrictions on vital humanitarian aid delivery'. Rights' groups say that British-made parts constitute approximately 15 per cent of the aircraft, which carry the 2,000-pound bombs that Israel has repeatedly dropped on Gaza, killing hundreds in densely-populated areas of the ravaged enclave. 'The F-35 is a critical platform for the execution of Israel's policies in Gaza,' GLAN director Gearóid Ó Cuinn told The Independent. 'It's been dropping these profoundly destructive 2,000-pound bombs which have a kill radius of about 57 football fields... and [have] diminished and degraded the ability for distributing aid.' In one confirmed attack, Israeli forces admitted using the jets in a strike on Al-Mawasi, southern Gaza, which killed 90 Palestinians and injured 300 more on 13 July 2024. The legal case hinges on the government's decision not to include F-35 parts in the suspension of 30 arms licenses to Israel in September 2024. The government cited the risk to international security, noting that F-35 parts are sold through a global pool of spare parts owned by the US rather than directly to Israel. Internal government correspondence which emerged in the courts last year showed that defence secretary John Healey had told business secretary Jonathan Reynolds that withdrawing the license for F-35 parts would 'undermine US confidence in the UK and Nato'. Two months after the September decision, the government revealed in court that it believed Israel is 'not committed' to complying with international humanitarian law. Tuesday's case will argue that the decision to continue transferring F-35 parts to Israel appears to contradict the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, a government rule which states arms must not be sold to countries where they might be used for a serious violation of international law. A government spokesperson told The Independent that suspending the licence to sell F-35 parts is not possible without 'prejudicing the entire global F-35 programme, due to its strategic role in Nato and wider implications for international peace and security'. Labour MP Richard Burgon, who has hosted briefings in parliament regarding the case, told The Independent: 'When it comes to international law, the point is to respect international law. 'You have to accept it applies to all countries, all governments, whether historically they're allies or not,' he added, accusing the government of a 'double standard' in its approach to Israel. Left-wing Labour MP Andy McDonald said the continued supply of F-35 parts is an 'abomination' which has 'no moral foundation or justification whatsoever', while Apsana Begum MP said it is 'absolutely right to hold the government accountable' for continuing arms sales to Israel. Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also expressed his support for the case. 'We know that the UK's continued supply of arms is morally indefensible,' he told The Independent. 'GLAN have my full support in proving that it is legally indefensible too, so that we can finally bring about an end to all arms sales to Israel.' A government spokesperson said: 'This government is fully committed to upholding our responsibilities under domestic and international law and we have at all times acted in a manner consistent with our legal obligations. 'Within a couple of months of coming to office, we suspended relevant licences for the Israeli Defence Force that might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Rights Groups Take UK Govt to Court Over Israel Arms Sales
Rights groups and NGOs are dragging the UK government to court on Tuesday accusing it of breaching international law by supplying fighter jet parts to Israel amid the war in Gaza. Supported by Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam and others, the Palestinian rights association Al-Haq is seeking to stop the government's export of UK-made components for Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets. Israel has used the American warplanes to devastating effect in Gaza and the West Bank, and the head of Amnesty UK said Britain had failed to uphold its "legal obligation... to prevent genocide" by allowing the export of key parts to Israel. The plane's refueling probe, laser targeting system, tires, rear fuselage, fan propulsion system and ejector seat are all made in Britain, according to Oxfam, and lawyers supporting Al-Haq's case said the aircraft "could not keep flying without continuous supply of UK-made components". It is not clear when a decision could be made following the four-day hearing at London's High Court, the latest stage in a long-running legal battle. Lawyers for the Global Action Legal Network (GLAN) have said they launched the case soon after Israel's assault on Gaza was triggered by the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks. Israel has repeatedly denied accusations of genocide. The lawyers said the UK government had decided in December 2023 and April and May 2024 to continue arms sales to Israel, before in September 2024 then suspending licenses for weapons which were assessed as being for military use by the Israeli army in Gaza. The new Labor government suspended around 30 licenses following a review of Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law, but the partial ban did not cover British-made parts for the advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets. A UK government spokesperson told AFP it was "not currently possible to suspend licensing of F-35 components for use by Israel without prejudicing the entire global F-35 program, due to its strategic role in NATO and wider implications for international peace and security". "Within a couple of months of coming to office, we suspended relevant licenses for the Israeli military that might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law in Gaza," they said. The government insisted it had "acted in a manner consistent with our legal obligations" and was "committed to upholding our responsibilities under domestic and international law". But GLAN described the F-35 exemption as a "loophole" which allowed the components to reach Israel indirectly through a global pooling system. Charlotte Andrews-Briscoe, a lawyer for GLAN, told a briefing last week the UK government had "expressly departed from its own domestic law in order to keep arming Israel", with F-35s being used to drop "multi-ton bombs on the people of Gaza". Hamas's 2023 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Monday that at least 2,749 people have been killed since Israel ended a two-month ceasefire in mid-March, bringing the overall death toll since the war broke out to 52,862. "Under the Genocide Convention, the UK has a clear legal obligation to do everything within its power to prevent genocide," said Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK's chief executive. "Yet the UK government continues to authorize the export of military equipment to Israel -- despite all the evidence that genocide is being committed by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza. This is a fundamental failure by the UK to fulfil its obligations." Al-Haq's general director Shawan Jabarin said: "The United Kingdom is not a bystander. It's complicit, and that complicity must be confronted, exposed and brought to account."
Al Arabiya
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Rights groups take UK government to court over Israel arms sales
Rights groups and NGOs are dragging the UK government to court on Tuesday, accusing it of breaching international law by supplying fighter jet parts to Israel amid the war in Gaza. Supported by Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam, and others, the Palestinian rights association al-Haq is seeking to stop the government's export of UK-made components for Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets. Israel has used the American warplanes to devastating effect in Gaza and the West Bank, and the head of Amnesty UK said Britain had failed to uphold its 'legal obligation… to prevent genocide' by allowing the export of key parts to Israel. The plane's refueling probe, laser targeting system, tires, rear fuselage, fan propulsion system, and ejector seat are all made in Britain, according to Oxfam, and lawyers supporting al-Haq's case said the aircraft 'could not keep flying without continuous supply of UK-made components.' It is not clear when a decision could be made following the four-day hearing at London's High Court, the latest stage in a long-running legal battle. Lawyers for the Global Action Legal Network (GLAN) have said they launched the case soon after Israel's assault on Gaza was triggered by the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks. Israel has repeatedly denied accusations of genocide. The lawyers said the UK government had decided in December 2023 and April and May 2024 to continue arms sales to Israel, before in September 2024 then suspending licenses for weapons that were assessed as being for military use by the Israeli army in Gaza. The new Labour government suspended around 30 licenses following a review of Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law, but the partial ban did not cover British-made parts for the advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets. A UK government spokesperson told AFP it was 'not currently possible to suspend licensing of F-35 components for use by Israel without prejudicing the entire global F-35 program, due to its strategic role in NATO and wider implications for international peace and security.' 'Within a couple of months of coming to office, we suspended relevant licenses for the IDF that might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza,' they said. The government insisted it had 'acted in a manner consistent with our legal obligations' and was 'committed to upholding our responsibilities under domestic and international law.' But GLAN described the F-35 exemption as a 'loophole' that allowed the components to reach Israel indirectly through a global pooling system. Charlotte Andrews-Briscoe, a lawyer for GLAN, told a briefing last week the UK government had 'expressly departed from its own domestic law in order to keep arming Israel,' with F-35s being used to drop 'multi-ton bombs on the people of Gaza.' ISIS's 2023 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Monday that at least 2,749 people have been killed since Israel ended a two-month ceasefire in mid-March, bringing the overall death toll since the war broke out to 52,862. 'Under the Genocide Convention, the UK has a clear legal obligation to do everything within its power to prevent genocide,' said Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK's chief executive. 'Yet the UK government continues to authorise the export of military equipment to Israel — despite all the evidence that genocide is being committed by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza. This is a fundamental failure by the UK to fulfil its obligations.' Al-Haq's general director Shawan Jabarin said: 'The United Kingdom is not a bystander. It's complicit, and that complicity must be confronted, exposed, and brought to account.'
