Wide criticism in the UK for selling espionage programs to repressive countries, including UAE
The British Government is facing widespread criticism it was reported that it sold spyware programs to 17 repressive countries, including the UAE.
The Independent reported that the British government is under pressure to explain exports of 75 million pounds worth to countries that are “not free”. The Government has approved exports of spyware and other communications devices that can be used for espionage on opponents.
Despite laws prohibiting the government from selling devices that could be used for internal repression, ministers signed, during the five years, export licenses to repressive countries according to the Freedom House classification.
The list of the 17 countries includes China, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, which is one of the largest countries obtaining export licenses, which since 2015 amounted to 11.5 million pounds.
Human rights organizations said that Britain is developing a reputation of a country that does not check the arms exporter. At the time, the Labor Party has asked the government to disclose its method of work in order to prove that it abides by the laws that prevent military dictatorial regimes from being military.
In addition to the 17 countries, Britain has exported weapons to countries that were not formally classified as “non-free” but whose assistance is surprising. The newspaper says that one of the beneficiaries is Hong Kong, which has been approved to sell two million pounds of equipment, despite the continuous repression of those calling for democracy.
A government spokesperson said: “The government takes its export responsibilities seriously and assesses all export licences in accordance with strict licensing criteria. We will not issue any export licences where to do so would be inconsistent with these criteria.”
But Oliver Feeley-Sprague, Amnesty International UK’s programme director for military, security and police affairs, said the UK did not seem to be undertaking proper risk assessments when selling such equipment and said the government’s controls were becoming “notorious” for their “faulty decision-making”.
“These figures are cause for real concern, unless and until UK ministers can demonstrate that proper safeguards against repressive misuse were in place when this equipment was dispatched,” he said.
“With numerous human rights defenders arrested and jailed in countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Turkey in the past five years, there’s a greater need than ever for the UK to be absolutely scrupulous in assessing the risk of UK telecoms technology being used unlawfully against human rights activists, journalists, and peaceful opposition figures.
Andrew Smith of Campaign Against Arms Trade said the sale of the spying equipment raised “serious questions and concerns”. “These sales are symptomatic of a dangerous and hypocritical foreign policy that has consistently prioritised arms exports over human rights,” he said.
“Spyware and surveillance equipment is often used against human rights defenders. Many of the regimes buying the technology have a long history of inflicting brutal and repressive laws and targeting campaigners and activists.”
Godfather of Espionage
The UAE has a proven a record stained with intelligence scandals internally and externally.
Reuters revealed, at the end of last year, a US investigation into an Emirati intelligence program targeting Gulf officials and activists at the United Nations.
The investigation stated that former White House and Defense Department official Richard Clarke had assisted the UAE with extensive espionage operations with former US security officials.
They established an intelligence unit named Ravine, while the program’s work involved hacking into email addresses.
The documents showed that the Emirati intelligence program began in 2008. Note that the UAE had previously launched four satellites for the purpose of espionage. The last of them last July was called “Ain El-Sager”.
The UAE shined in the world of classic espionage and then became the pioneer of electronic espionage. The UAE has paid ex-CIA officers to build an espionage empire, and has bought billions of dollars in advanced spying technologies from Israel.
The UAE imposes strict controls on all communications in the country, and its espionage activities extend to regional countries and international organizations.
