Amnesty criticises Belgium’s arms checks

Amnesty International’s annual report reveals that Belgium is unable to control satisfactorily the final destination of the weapons it sells abroad, because of legislation passed by the Flemish and Walloon parliaments last June on the import, export and transfer of arms, which imposes inadequate checks. The organisation is also concerned that 45% of weapons produced in Wallonia are sold to the Middle East, 85% of which go to Saudi Arabia: “a country that is a model of democracy,” Philippe Hensmans, director of the French-speaking section of Amnesty International Belgium, said. The organisation also looks back on the European Court of Human Rights’ judgement that found Belgium guilty of not giving Lahoucine El Haski, suspected of terrorism, the right to a fair trial. It appeared that the government had produced at his trial evidence that may have been obtained under torture in Morocco and should therefore have been considered inadmissible by the Belgian courts.