The Council of Europe warned on Tuesday, August 12 against weapons sales in Israel, asking its 46 Member States to ensure that they are not used in the context of human rights violations in Gaza.
In a statement, the Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe, Michael O’Flaherty, reiterated his appeal to member countries to “do everything possible to prevent and respond to violations of international humanitarian and human rights in the context of the conflict in Gaza.”
“This includes the application of existing legal standards to ensure that armament transfers are not authorized when there is a risk of being used to commit violations” of fundamental rights, writes the commissioner.
Germany suspends its weapons exports
Last week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced a suspension of arms exports that Israel could use in the context of Gaza’s conflict, a great political change for Berlin, a traditional ally of the Hebrew state.
“However, you have to do more and quickly,” argues the commissioner. The Council of Europe, which is located in Strasbourg, is the vigilante of democracy and human rights in the continent.
In June, Michael O’Flaherty had worried the German authorities “restrictions on freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful meeting” of demonstrated people “in the context of the conflict in Gaza.”
Source: BFM TV
