You are right to say (Editorial, 8 June) that “Saudi Arabia ought to be treated as a global pariah”, following the decision of its supreme court to uphold the sentence of 10 years in jail and 1,000 lashes on Raif Badawi for the crime of expressing the wrong opinions. But there is no sign that this sadistic cruelty is disturbing the close and decades-long friendship between Whitehall and Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia is currently the UK’s largest arms export market. It is a nonsense to claim, as ministers do, that this military cooperation is about nothing more than the Saudis’ right to self-defence. The reason we do not arm Iran, Syria or North Korea is that arms sales are inescapably an expression of political support and commitment to regime survival.
It is time the UK government ceased its support for a Saudi state that terrorises its own people and blatantly violates human rights and fundamental freedoms. Arms sales must end, the British ambassador should be recalled, and key regime figures sanctioned internationally.
Peter Tatchell
Jodie Ginsberg CEO, Index on Censorship
Pete Radcliff FreeRaif_UK
Ann Feltham Campaign Against Arms Trade
Melanie Gingell Gulf Center for Human Rights
David Wearing School of Oriental and African Studies
