Appeal over arms exports to Egypt lost

Bekijk alles
May 17, 2022
News items
Previous
Next

The Court of Appeal in The Hague today, Tuesday, May 17, ruled on appeal that the Netherlands may continue to supply arms to Egypt. A coalition of peace and human rights organizations filed summary proceedings against the Dutch State to stop arms exports to Egypt.

The Netherlands supplies weapons systems to the Egyptian armed forces, which can thereby contribute to serious human rights violations of the local population in North Sinai. These include advanced radar and communication systems to be built into war frigates. Such systems are the ears and eyes of an armed force, and can play a role in directing military force in North Sinai. Egypt is also a partner of Saudi Arabia, which has now been fighting a war in Yemen for more than seven years.

The organizations Peace Organization PAX, Stop Arms Trade and the Dutch Lawyers Committee for Human Rights (NJCM) react with disappointment. Even if the weapons have not yet been exported, NGOs must demonstrate that these weapons will be used in violations of international law. The Court thereby sets the bar so high that it is almost impossible for human rights and peace organizations to stop arms shipments. Despite the many warning lights going off about the worrisome human rights situation in North Sinai, the Court still rules that the Netherlands may continue to supply weapons to Egypt.

Michel Uiterwaal of peace organization PAX explains, “To stop arms deliveries to a country like Egypt, we now almost have to predict the future. We continue to believe that the Netherlands should not supply arms when there are indications of imminent human rights violations in Egypt, but the Court unfortunately rules otherwise.”

Wendela de Vries of Stop Arms Trade stresses, “Despite the fact that the State has many more resources at its disposal, it does not appear to have all the facts about human rights violations by the Egyptian army on its own. How then can a proper assessment about an arms export be made? We will continue to monitor the situation in Egypt and will also sound the alarm on future licenses if necessary.”

See the entire statement here.

Tags: ,
Previous
Next
Actueel

Gerelateerde berichten

outdoor sleeping fines right to housing
April 16, 2025 The right to housing

Sitchting GOUD sends letter to municipality of Utrecht about outdoor sleeping fines for homeless people

Stichting GOUD sends letter to municipality of Utrecht about outdoor sleeping fines Stichting GOUD has formally requested a meeting with the Utrecht municipality today through a letter about stopping fining homeless people who are forced to sleep on the streets. The letter points out to the municipality that this practice, based on article 2:31 of […]

article blog Islamophobia movement lawyering

Nawal Mustafa on Movement Lawyering and the Struggle Against Discriminatory State Surveillance in the Netherlands

Movement Lawyering and the Struggle Against Discriminatory State Surveillance in the Netherlands In connection with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, our colleague Nawal Mustafa has published an interesting and read-worthy blog article on Movement Lawyering on Human Rights Here. Movement Lawyering In her blog, Nawal explains that Movement Lawyering is rooted […]

Liberties network report Rule of law
March 17, 2025

Democracy in Decline: Liberties’ Rule of Law Report 2025 Exposes Serious Concerns

The 2025 Rule of Law Report by the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (‘Liberties‘) that was published today, reveals a concerning picture: democratic institutions in the EU continued to weaken in 2024 due to government neglect or active dismantling. The report, compiled by 43 human rights organisations—including PILP as a member of Liberties—provides a critical […]

Gerelateerde berichten

Our Dossiers

Our Dossiers

Support our work

PILP is the legal ally of civil society organizations, movements, communities, and activists dedicated to human rights. Your donation enables us to continue providing this service.