Arms sold at Bahrain’s upcoming defence exhibition may be used to commit further atrocities in the Yemen conflict, NGOs have warned companies. Companies have been urged to boycott next week’s Bahrain International Defence Exhibition and Conference (BIDEC) in a letter signed by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) and European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (ECDHR). The letter calls on BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, Defence Equipment Sales Authority (DESA), Bell Helicopter and AeroVironment not to participate in the event, nor advertise or sell products to the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF), until Bahrain withdraws from the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen. Bahraini authorities used BAE’s armoured vehicles to crush protests in 2011, according to CAAT. The NGO also reported that BAE’s warplanes have played a central role in Saudi Arabia’s attacks in Yemen...