The Arms Trade Litigation Monitor

The Arms Trade Litigation Monitor (ATLM) tracks and documents litigation and other legal interventions against arms exports. To date, the main focus has been on arms supplies linked with the armed conflicts and humanitarian crises in Yemen and Palestine. On this site, you can find detailed information about the background and progress of each case, access and download all related court documents, read expert opinions and analyses, and explore common challenges faced across the cases.

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Latest developments

19/03/2025

Press Release: Bombed in air war, stalled by redacted files: How German authorities have failed Yemeni plaintiffs

ECCHR press release on the withdrawal of the lawsuit filed by three Yemeni plaintiffs, supported by the Center and Mwatana for Human Rights, against German export licences to Saudi Arabia.

05/03/2025

Report / Briefing: Arms transfers are not a human rights-free zone - UN report

In this report, OHCHR examines gaps with respect to the role of States and the private sector to prevent, address and mitigate the negative human rights impacts of arms transfers, including...

05/03/2025

Expert / Legal Opinion: Pursuing Accountability for the Arms Trade: A Primer on European and UK Laws and Mechanisms

This report maps and analyses the laws and systems governing arms exports, as well as relevant oversight and accountability mechanisms, in major arms-exporting EU countries and the UK, and...

25/02/2025

Report / Briefing: Fact sheet: Legal cases and F-35 jet programme

Fact sheet on the legal context for arms transfers in F-35 partner nations and legal cases on arms sales to Israel in these and other countries.

18/02/2025

Press Release: Over 230 global organisations demand governments producing F-35 jets stop arming Israel

Over 230 global civil society organisations have called on governments producing F-35 fighter jets to immediately halt all arms transfers to Israel, including the F-35 jets. This open letter was...

20/06/2024

Press Release: States and companies must end arms transfers to Israel immediately or risk responsibility for human rights violations: UN experts

UN experts state that the transfer of weapons and ammunition to Israel may constitute serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian laws and risk State complicity in...

05/06/2024

Event: Are Legal and Human Rights Challenges at a Tipping Point in Changing the Arms Trade?

Join a panel of experts as they discuss the role of legal and human rights challenges in changing the arms trade.

27/05/2024

Press Release: Going to court again over F-35 parts

Oxfam Novib, PAX and The Rights Forum are again starting summary proceedings against the Dutch State.

24/05/2024

Related Litigation: Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel) - Order of 24 May 2024

In its Order of 24 May 2024, the ICJ granted South Africa's request for modified provisional measures and ordered Israel to "immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah" in the 'Application of...

21/05/2024

Page: Belgium and Arms Transit

Landmark Decisions

Court cases that have made relative headway in achieving some measure of legal accountability for decisions to authorise arms transfers within the constraints of existing legal pathways

Legal Framework

The international, regional and national rules governing arms transfers define illegal transfers and arms supply relationships and prohibit wrongful assistance by states and corporations in the commission of international law violations.

Conflict Overviews

The ATLM tracks and documents litigation related to arms transfers largely linked so far with the armed conflicts and humanitarian crises in Yemen and Palestine. This page provides an overview of the Yemen conflict, with the overview of the situation in Palestine to be uploaded soon.

Themes

From an assessment of the cases documented on this site, several common barriers to both initiating litigation and succeeding in achieving accountability for international arms transfers through judicial means can be identified.

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Analysis

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19 March 2025

Bombed in air war, stalled by redacted files: How German authorities have failed Yemeni plaintiffs

European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights | ECCHR

ECCHR press release on the withdrawal of the lawsuit filed by three Yemeni plaintiffs, supported by the Center and Mwatana for Human Rights, against German export licences to Saudi Arabia.

05 March 2025

Arms transfers are not a human rights-free zone - UN report

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Report / Briefing

In this report, OHCHR examines gaps with respect to the role of States and the private sector to prevent, address and mitigate the negative human rights impacts of arms transfers, including unregulated illicit arms transfers and diversion.

05 March 2025

Pursuing Accountability for the Arms Trade: A Primer on European and UK Laws and Mechanisms

Valentina Azarova (PhD) | American Bar Association Center for Human Rights

Expert / Legal Opinion Report / Briefing

This report maps and analyses the laws and systems governing arms exports, as well as relevant oversight and accountability mechanisms, in major arms-exporting EU countries and the UK, and identifies advocacy opportunities and accountability pathways for civil society.

25 February 2025

Fact sheet: Legal cases and F-35 jet programme

Campaign Against Arms Trade