"The case against UAMA and RWM Italia is not about negligence, it's about Italy's role in deadly Saudi/UAE-Led coalition airstrike", 8 Oct 2019

Exactly three years ago a family of six was killed in an airstrike by the Saudi/UAE-led military coalition in Deir Al-Hajari in Northwest Yemen. Those killed in the strike included a pregnant woman and her four young children. Bomb remnants were found at the site of the attack, including a suspension lug manufactured by RWM Italia S.p.A., a subsidiary of the German Arms Manufacturer Rheinmetall AG...

After more than a year and a half of investigations, the Italian Public Prosecutor’s Office in Rome, instead of carrying out a complete assessment of the role of Italy and an Italian weapons manufacturer’s potential role in crimes in Yemen, has decided to request a dismissal of the case. The three organizations will appeal the Prosecutor’s decision, as the case - and Yemeni victims - deserve a proper investigation of Italy’s role...

[The civil society organizations argue that]:

• when looking at the offence of abuse of office...documents from the investigation show that still in November 2017 arms exports to Saudi/UAE coalition members were granted, despite documentation of serious violations of international law...

• the prosecutor confirmed the RWM Italia suspension lug found at the scene of the...attack may have been exported in November 2015...

• the prosecutor insufficiently examined whether the exports by RWM Italia and their licensing amount to criminal conduct...