Amnesty International report documents “irresponsible arms transfers” by Canada
Amnesty International has released their 410-page report The State of the World’s Human Rights (April 2025).
In the section on Canada (on page 120), Amnesty International highlights:
IRRESPONSIBLE ARMS TRANSFERS: “Canada continued to export arms and military equipment to countries despite lack of accountability for past violations and substantial risks that they could be used in serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. Arms worth USD 6.4 million were exported to Saudi Arabia, representing 42% of the total of non-US military exports. Authorization of new export permits for transfers of military goods to Israel was reportedly paused in January, although no official “notice to exporters” was issued and at least 180 export permits remained active.”
Last year, Amnesty International had reported: “Canada continued to export weapons to countries where there was a substantial risk of them being used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international human rights or humanitarian law. Arms worth USD 1.2 billion were exported to Saudi Arabia, representing 57% of total arms exports. Since February, approximately USD 1 million of military goods, including “riot control agents”, were approved for export to Peru amid repression of protests. Canada issued 315 export permits to Israel for weapons and military technology in 2022 and approved over USD 21 million worth of military exports to Israel between October and December 2023.”
Photo: Organizations, defenders and communities came together in May 2024 to protest the CANSEC weapons show at th EY Centre in Ottawa.
The 2025 report also highlights in its section on FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY globally: “Security forces often brutally and lethally dispersed protests, as well as using mass arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances to suppress them. In 2024, killings and/or mass arrests of scores of protesters were documented in countries including Bangladesh, Egypt, Georgia, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan and Senegal. In Bangladesh, the armed forces were deployed against student protests and “shoot-on-sight” orders issued, resulting in close to a thousand deaths, with many more injured.”
The complete Amnesty International report can be read at The State of the World’s Human Rights (April 2025).
SHUT DOWN CANSEC, May 28
Peace Brigades International-Canada will be present at the Shut Down CANSEC mobilization taking place on May 28 at the EY Centre in Ottawa.
On Instagram: @shut.down.cansec
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