UK government admission to misleading MPs over Saudi abuses in Yemen 'jaw-dropping'

Responding to the government's admission that Parliament and MPs were mislead over investigations into Saudi Arabia conduct in Yemen, Oliver Sprague, Amnesty UK’s Arms Programme Director, said:

“This is jaw-dropping stuff.

“The government has admitted grossly misleading parliament no fewer than six times on issues as serious as the deaths of civilians in Yemen.

“The government has spent most of this year telling us that assessments had been conducted and it was confident that no breach of international law had occurred - when it’s now apparent no specific assessment of Saudi operations had been done whatsoever.

“It appears that what the UK government is admitting is to only having reviewed general Saudi procedures rather than investigating the many actual reports of unlawful attacks.

“It’s staggering that such a shameful admission is made at the eleventh hour on the last day of parliament.

“It’s not even doublespeak, it’s just plain wrong.”