ROME (Reuters) -A group of seven Italian civil society groups has filed a lawsuit against state-controlled defence group Leonardo and Italy’s government, seeking to annul any contract for the sale and supply of arms to Israel.
The complaint – lodged at the end of September with a Rome-based court – argues that Leonardo, one of the world’s largest arms producers, continued to supply the Israel Defence Forces, going against both Italy’s Constitution and international law, the NGOs said late on Thursday.
“Israel carries out in the West Bank and Gaza a military occupation and systematic apartheid that are fed with weapons supplied by foreign partners,” their statement said.
Leonardo dismissed the lawsuit saying it complied with all laws on arms exports, and vowed to defend its position in court.
Any suggestion its actions were linked to Gaza was “a serious distortion without legal basis,” it added in a statement.
The government was not immediately available for comment.
The lawsuit was presented by a Palestinian citizen and the Italian groups, including A Buon Diritto, which provides free legal assistance and support for migrants and refugees, Italian Christian workers association ACLI and NGO Un Ponte Per.
Under Italian law, arms exports are banned to countries that are waging war and those deemed to be violating international human rights.
In 2023, Rome announced a halt to its weapons exports to Israel amid escalating violence in Gaza. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto later said previously approved orders were still being fulfilled after checks were carried out to ensure the weapons would not be used against civilians in the Palestinian enclave.
At the end of September, Leonardo Chief Executive Roberto Cingolani said no new export licenses to Israel had been issued since the war began and ties were limited to two longstanding maintenance contracts for unarmed training aircraft.
He acknowledged concerns over the company U.S. DRS, majority-owned by Leonardo, and its Israeli radar unit, but said these operate under foreign jurisdictions.
The lawsuit comes as the EU tightens arms export rules, requiring member states to block sales where there is a risk of human rights abuses or violations of international law.
(Reporting by Giulia Segreti in Rome and Anna Uras in Gdansk; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
