An Australian newspaper revealed that charges against Australian mercenaries for war crimes in Yemen have been included in a complaint filed by a French law firm at the end of last year for the International Criminal Court. The complaint accuses the United Arab Emirates of hiring Australian mercenaries.
The complaint came after reports that Australians had been killed in the Yemeni war, prompting the attention of a senior adviser to former Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. The Chancellor asked questions on the subject only four months ago.
The complaint, backed by human rights activists in Britain, says the UAE has financed mercenaries from Australia, South America and South Africa to fight in Yemen, and human rights lawyers say what Abu Dhabi has done is a violation of international law.
The complaint to the International Criminal Court focused on Australians who fought in Yemen as part of the Saudi-led coalition campaign. Media in the Middle East reported that an Australian and six Colombians were killed in clashes with Huthi militants near the city of Taiz, 2015.
Reports indicate that the dead Australian is named Philip Stephan, who works for a private security company. In the next year (2016), media reports reported that the Houthis had killed another Australia named Jack Richardson.
