Spain has halted the sale of hundreds of missiles to Saudi Arabia amid concerns about their use against civilians in the war in Yemen.
The Spanish defence ministry has launched a process to cancel the contract with Saudi Arabia signed in 2015 for 400 laser-guided munitions and will pay back the $10m already paid for the weapons..
Spain is the fourth-largest provider of military equipment and weapons to the Gulf state. United States, Britain, and France are Saudi Arabia's main arms suppliers.
Andrew Smith, a spokesman from the UK-based Campaign Against Arms Trade, said, "It sets an incredibly important precedent across Europe and to the governments who are continuing to arm and support this brutal bombardment, such as the US and the UK who have sold by far the most weapons."
Amnesty International's Rasha Abdul Rahim told Al Jazeera Spain's move was only a first step and it should cancel all arms sales to Saudi Arabia, not just the 400 missiles. "These kinds of munitions have been used in attacks against hospitals, homes, and markets time and time again," Rahim said. "It's high time such action has been taken."
The Spanish defence ministry has launched a process to cancel the contract with Saudi Arabia signed in 2015 for 400 laser-guided munitions and will pay back the $10m already paid for the weapons..
Spain is the fourth-largest provider of military equipment and weapons to the Gulf state. United States, Britain, and France are Saudi Arabia's main arms suppliers.
Andrew Smith, a spokesman from the UK-based Campaign Against Arms Trade, said, "It sets an incredibly important precedent across Europe and to the governments who are continuing to arm and support this brutal bombardment, such as the US and the UK who have sold by far the most weapons."
Amnesty International's Rasha Abdul Rahim told Al Jazeera Spain's move was only a first step and it should cancel all arms sales to Saudi Arabia, not just the 400 missiles. "These kinds of munitions have been used in attacks against hospitals, homes, and markets time and time again," Rahim said. "It's high time such action has been taken."
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