Rights groups urge review of Canadian-Saudi deal

By Barry Ellsworth

TRENTON, Canada (AA) - Human rights groups are demanding an independent investigation into charges that Saudi Arabia used Canadian-made armored vehicles against Saudi citizens, Canadian media reported Thursday.

Canada closed an $CAN15-billion deal with Saudi officials in 2014 that has seen a steady flow of the Tarradyne Gurkha vehicles exported to the Middle Eastern country.

That runs contrary to Canadian policy not to sell military hardware to countries if there is a concern that the supplies will be used against citizens of the buying country.

The Justin Trudeau government conducted a review of the Saudi sale and concluded there was “no verified, credible information” to prove the armored vehicles were used against Saudi citizens in July 2017.

The human rights groups, however, said that investigation was cursory and there were eyewitness reports and videos that show the predominately Sunni Saudis were deployed around the town of Al-Awamiyah, with a mostly Shia population. The groups said that during the security operation, several citizens were killed. The armored vehicles are easily outfitted with machine guns and other weapons.

In a letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland dated July 3, Amnesty International Canada and Oxfam Canada, among other human rights organizations, said the investigation into Al-Awamiyah was improperly conducted and called for an independent probe.

“We issue this call because it is our view that the internal government report on the allegations reveals shortcomings both in the investigation of the allegations and in interpretation of Canadian obligations under international law,” the letter states.

“These shortcomings suggest a thorough review concluded by an independent and impartial expert is now required to adequately address the serious questions and concerns that remain unresolved.”

The Trudeau government has not yet responded to the request.

The Saudi deal was inked under the previous Stephen Harper Conservative government but allowed to continue under the Trudeau administration, which was elected in 2015.