As defence company Rheinmetall announces record sales, Yemeni civilians have faced a setback in their pursuit of international justice yet again. After more than 6 years of preliminary examinations, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has confirmed that it will not open an investigation into the legal responsibility of European governments and arms companies in alleged war crimes in Yemen.

“The entrenchment of impunity over a decade of conflict has not only deepened the humanitarian catastrophe but has also fueled the persistence and escalation of hostilities. The absence of international accountability has effectively granted a ‘green light’ to all parties, including the Ansar Allah armed group (Houthis), to persist in committing grave violations that exacerbate human suffering and undermine any prospects for stability in Yemen.” 
Radya Al-Mutawakel, Chairperson Mwatana for Human Rights. 

The ICC decision comes in response to a joint article 15 Communication requesting that the ICC investigate if European corporate and government actors aided and abetted alleged war crimes committed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE in Yemen through the sale of arms. It was submitted in 2019 by the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), Mwatana for Human Rights, Amnesty International, Campaign Against Arms Trade, Centre Delàs and Rete Italiana Pace Disarmo.