The report by Paris-based law firm Ancile said that it was probable that France was continuing to export military equipment to Saudi Arabia and the UAE with no guarantee that it will not be used in war-torn Yemen.
“In this context, the exports would likely constitute a violation by France of two international treaties to which it is subject: the UN’s Arms Trade Treaty and the EU’s Common Position on Arms Export,” the report commissioned by Amnesty International and the French rights group Actions by Christians for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT) said.
More than 9,300 people, mostly civilians, have been killed and another 53,000 injured since the start of Yemen’s civil war in March 2015.
The violent power struggle pitting Iran-backed Houthi rebels against the pro-government Saudi-led coalition has also left millions on the brink of famine.
Saudi Arabia is one of the top importers of Western weapons, although European governments have recently come under fire from NGOs over mounting fears the weapons supplied are being used to commit war crimes in Yemen.
But while German Chancellor Angela Merkel said recently that Germany would not supply weapons to countries involved in the conflict, her ally, French President Emmanuel Macron, has not.
France, one of the world’s top arms producers, has sold a range of military equipment to Riyadh and its allies.
These include Caesar artillery guns and ammunition, sniper rifles and armoured vehicles.
However, when confronted on Tuesday about the French government’s alleged role in enabling the Saudi-led coalition to flout international law, a foreign ministry spokesperson said: “France has a robust and transparent system of controls on exports of war materials”.
“Export decisions are made under the Prime Minister with strict respect for France’s international commitments,” the spokesperson added.
French premier Edouard Philippe’s office said earlier this month that France-made weapons sold to Saudi Arabia were “defensive” and being used to ward off attacks by the Houthis.
“The Emiratis are on the ground in Yemen with some French military equipment, but it is not these weapons that are implicated in the collateral damage which must stop,” Mr Philippe’s office said.