Netherlands votes to ban weapons exports to Saudi Arabia...

The Dutch parliament has voted to ban arms exports to Saudi Arabia in protest against the kingdom's humanitarian and rights violations.

It sees the Netherlands become the first EU country to put in practice a motion by the European Parliament in February urging a bloc-wide Saudi arms embargo.

The bill, voted through by Dutch MPs on Tuesday, quoted UN figures which suggest almost 6,000 people - half of them civilians - have been killed since Saudi-led troops entered the conflict in Yemen.

It also cited the mass execution of 47 people, largely political dissidents, ordered by the Saudi judiciary on 2 January this year.

According to Reuters, the Dutch bill asks the government to implement a strict weapons embargo that includes dual-use exports which could potentially be used to violate human rights. Full story...

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