Quaker attempts citizen’s arrest
Sam Walton attempted to place major general Ahmed al-Asiri under citizen's arrest
A Quaker peace activist attempted to put a Saudi general under citizen’s arrest in London on Thursday for his part in the war in Yemen.
Sam Walton, who works at Friends House but who was acting in a private capacity, attempted the citizen’s arrest – which is an arrest carried out by a citizen and not a member of the law enforcement body – on major general Ahmed al-Asiri.
Ahmed al-Asiri is an adviser in the Saudi defence ministry and was visiting London to speak at a think tank – the European Council on Foreign Relations. He has been the main spokesman for the two-year-long war against the Houthi movement in Yemen, which has claimed at least 10,000 lives and devastated the country.
Sam Walton said: ‘Asiri represents a regime that has killed thousands in Yemen and shown a total contempt for international law.’
