UAE Crown Prince Sued in France over Yemen War

A rights group filed a lawsuit against Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan during his visit to France on Wednesday, accusing him of war crimes, complicity in torture and inhumane treatment in Yemen, a lawyer for the group said.

The complaint by the International Alliance for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms (AIDL) said Prince Mohammed, who is Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, is responsible for attacks that hit civilians.

“It’s in this capacity that he has ordered bombings on Yemeni territory,” said complaint filed on behalf of the AIDL, which is based in France.

The complaint against Abu Dhabi’s crown prince cites a report by United Nations experts that said coalition attacks may have constituted war crimes and that torture was carried out in two centers controlled by Emirati forces.

There was no immediate response from the Crown Prince’s court or the UAE government media office to an emailed request for comment.

The complaint, filed in a Paris court, comes as pressure grows on French President Emmanuel Macron to curb arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which head a coalition launching brutal war on Yemen since March 2015.

France also has a military base in Abu Dhabi.

A number of Yemenis have joined the legal action, AIDL lawyer Joseph Breham said.