The Human Rights Commission (HRC) supports the Kingdom’s military action in Yemen because it defends the country’s people against an aggressor and protects Saudi Arabia and other neighboring countries, the body’s chief said recently.

HRC members discussed the issue Tuesday and backed the decision by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman because it was in line with Islamic law, Bandar Al-Aiban, HRC chairman, said.

The commission said the Kingdom’s actions are supported by the charter of the Arab League, the Joint Arab Defense Pact and article 51 of the United Nations Charter.

These agreements grant individuals and groups the right to defend themselves against armed aggressors. The HRC also discussed the situation in light of the UN Human Rights Council Resolution No. 28/30 that condemns terror attacks against public establishments and private property on ethnic or religious grounds.

He said the Kingdom and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries resorted to the airstrikes only after the failure of efforts to restore peace and stability in Yemen through negotiations.

He said the HRC has noted that Operation Decisive Storm focused on protecting civilian lives and infrastructure and attacked military targets and weapon stores.

In his address at the recent Arab summit, Al-Aiban had said: “The painful reality of terrorism, internal strife and bloodshed which is causing suffering in several of our Arab countries now is the inevitable result of the alliance between terrorism and sectarianism spearheaded by a regional power ...”

“The foreign intervention in Yemen has enabled the Houthi militias, a small group, to overthrow the legitimate government and occupy the capital Sanaa.”

Al-Aiban said the operation was launched in response to a request from Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who called for the protection of the people of Yemen and its legitimate government against the “barbaric violations committed by the Houthi militias, and some terror groups backed by a hostile regional power.”