Civil Complaint by Yemeni nationals to seek injunctive relief and damages

The submitted arguments proceeded on eight counts, with the plaintiffs claiming:  

First, injunctive relief and monetary damages under the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) against the named leaders of the Saudi Arabian and UAE military forces, on the basis that they knowingly committed war crimes and extrajudicial killings, including against the plaintiffs.  

Second, the Saudi Arabian and UAE officials violated the Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA) by conducting extrajudicial killings without any judicial proceedings or legal processes.  

Third, injunctive relief and monetary damages under the ATS against the named US defence contractors. The complaint states that the Saudi and UAE officials violated international law by committing war crimes, extrajudicial killings, and torture against the plaintiffs, and that the defence contractors’ supply of weapons to the former significantly allowed for the aiding and abetting of the stated crimes.   

Fourth, the named defence contractors violated the TVPA by intentionally aiding and abetting the Saudi and UAE officials in committing extrajudicial killings and violating international law.  

Fifth, injunctive relief based on the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) against the US Departments of State and Defence on the basis that the decisions to approve arms sales were arbitrary and capricious because there is no evidence to show that the Houthis are an “existing threat to US national security, or that they are premeditating attacks in the US territory”. As such, these decisions are in violation of various US statutes inter alia the Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act.  

Sixth, the defence contractors have been “unjustly enriched” because of the large profits obtained from the sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia and the UAE that were misused.  

Seventh, all defendants failed to exercise due care by failing to supervise, prohibit, control, or regulate their employees and/or agents, and are therefore liable for the injuries caused to the plaintiffs.  

Eighth, the defence contractors as well as the Saudi and UAE military officials intentionally and continually inflicted emotional distress and physical damage, by participating in the venture of the sale of weapons used to commit the aforementioned crimes.