Responding to the UK government’s decision to expand its agreement with the US to use British bases amid escalating military operations against Iran, Kristyan Benedict, Amnesty International UK’s Crisis Response Manager, said:
“We are in an increasingly dangerous moment. The UK government must not engage in conduct that fuels further violations or aids internationally wrongful acts – and it must be clear about the legal basis for everything it does.
“The UK government’s decision to allow the US to use British military bases does not exist in a vacuum – it carries human rights responsibilities.
“Serious questions remain unanswered. How does the UK government know that US forces are not using British bases to strike schools, hospitals or other civilian infrastructure in Iran? What measures and agreements are in place to ensure the UK is not enabling violations of international humanitarian law by the US? Can the government guarantee that the weapons and targeting systems used by the US does not risk causing indiscriminate civilian harm? These are not hypothetical concerns – civilian lives are on the line, and they demand urgent, transparent answers.
“Security cannot be built by eroding the very rules designed to protect people. If we dismantle the guardrails, we shouldn’t be surprised when the world descends into crisis.”