Firearm ownership in Yemen is considered as right rather than privilege, and therefore is allowed without any license or permit. Carry is unrestricted in the country. Yemen is the second most armed country in the world after the United States. (128 guns for every 100 residents).[1]
Up until the second half of the 20th century, Yemenis traditionally carried a jambiya dagger and using weapons was regulated by tribal laws. The flood of guns in the country led to the extinction of those traditions.[2] A new permissive gun culture replaced the code of honor and chivalry.[3]
In 1992 Yemeni government passed Law Regulating Carrying Firearms, Ammunition & their Trade. Article 9 of this law states that:[4]
The citizens of the Republic shall have the right to hold the necessary rifles, machine guns, revolvers, and hunting rifles for their personal use with an amount of ammunition for the purpose of legitimate defense.
The law did not specify, however, which authority would ensure the control of arms proliferation.[5]
In 2007, the government issued a decree banning weapons in major cities and limiting weapons carried by security personnel. In three years, 720,000 unlicensed weapons were confiscated, and hundreds of weapons shops were temporarily closed down. The Arab Spring broke this dynamic.[2][6]
After civil war began in 2015 various parts of the country were overrun by different factions. Since there is no centralized government to enforce gun laws all types of arms including rifles, fully-automatic firearms, anti-tank guide missiles or armored vehicles are being sold over the counter for various militias and individuals willing to buy them.[1]
In October 2018, the Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism released a study demonstrating many guns in Yemen were manufactured by European weapon makers.[7]
A license is not required to obtain or possess firearms. Carry of firearms in public places is unrestricted in rural areas, where more than 66% of Yemen's population live, but state-issued license is required to carry them in cities. It is issued on may-issue basis with varying restrictions in different cities. In 2007 government cancelled all carry licenses and introduced new additional conditions for them. Carrying rifles (for example AK-47) was banned in cities with few exceptions.
Government's license is also required to be retailer of arms and ammunition, including maintaining records of stocks and sales, buyer's name and ID card. Law also regulates the number of bodyguards person can have, and stipulates that guns may not be passed on to third parties.[7]
Celebratory gunfire also leads to many deaths every year.[2] Many children, mostly boys, carry guns in Yemen.[5]
Firearm ownership
According to 2017 Small Arms Survey there are roughly 15 million civilian-held firearms in Yemen or 62 per 100 population, making Yemen the second most armed country in the world after the United States.[8]
Gun laws and policies, collectively referred to as firearms regulation or gun control, regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, and use of small arms by civilians. Laws of some countries may afford civilians a right to keep and bear arms, and have more liberal gun laws than neighboring jurisdictions. Countries that regulate access to firearms will typically restrict access to certain categories of firearms and then restrict the categories of persons who may be granted a license for access to such firearms. There may be separate licenses for hunting, sport shooting, self-defense, collecting, and concealed carry, with different sets of requirements, permissions, and responsibilities.
The right to keep and bear arms is a legal right for people to possess weapons (arms) for the preservation of life, liberty, and property. The purpose of gun rights is for self-defense, as well as hunting and sporting activities. Countries that guarantee the right to keep and bear arms include Albania, Czech Republic, Guatemala, Ukraine, Mexico, the United States, Yemen, and Switzerland.
In the United Kingdom, access by the general public to firearms is subject to strict control measures. Members of the public may own rifles and shotguns, however, they must be properly licensed. Most handguns have been banned in Great Britain since the Dunblane school massacre in 1996. Handguns are permitted in Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man which have their own applicable laws. Scotland imposes its own additional licensing requirements for airguns.
Gun laws in Pakistan allow for the ownership of firearms in the country by the general population. Pakistan is one of the biggest open firearms markets in the world, and is in the modern era also known for its indigenous gunsmith tradition. The country is famous for producing clones of almost every notable weapon of the world. Although firearms are widely owned, heavy weaponry is permitted only in tribal areas within the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This includes the circulation of rocket-propelled grenades, short, medium, and long-range rockets, anti-aircraft guns, mortars and other types of firearms.
Firearms regulation in Switzerland allows the acquisition of semi-automatic, and – with a may-issue permit – fully automatic firearms, by Swiss citizens and foreigners with or without permanent residence. The laws pertaining to the acquisition of firearms in Switzerland are amongst the most liberal in the world. Swiss gun laws are primarily about the acquisition of arms, and not ownership. As such a license is not required to own a gun by itself, but a shall-issue permit is required to purchase most types of firearms. Bolt-action rifles do not require an acquisition permit, and can be acquired with just a background check. A reason is not required to be issued an acquisition permit for semi-automatics unless the reason is other than sport-shooting, hunting, or collecting. Permits for concealed carrying in public are issued sparingly. The acquisition of fully automatic weapons, suppressors and target lasers requires special permits issued by the cantonal firearms office. Police use of hollow point ammunition is limited to special situations.
Firearms regulation in Mexico is governed by legislation which sets the legality by which members of the armed forces, law enforcement and private citizens may acquire, own, possess and carry firearms; covering rights and limitations to individuals—including hunting and shooting sport participants, property and personal protection personnel such as bodyguards, security officers, private security, and extending to VIPs.
In the United States, open carry refers to the practice of visibly carrying a firearm in public places, as distinguished from concealed carry, where firearms cannot be seen by the casual observer. To "carry" in this context indicates that the firearm is kept readily accessible on the person, within a holster or attached to a sling. Carrying a firearm directly in the hands, particularly in a firing position or combat stance, is known as "brandishing" and may constitute a serious crime, but is not the mode of "carrying" discussed in this article.
In the United States, the right to keep and bear arms is modulated by a variety of state and federal statutes. These laws generally regulate the manufacture, trade, possession, transfer, record keeping, transport, and destruction of firearms, ammunition, and firearms accessories. They are enforced by state, local and the federal agencies which include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The gun laws of New Zealand are contained in the Arms Act 1983 statute, which includes multiple amendments including those that were passed subsequent to the 1990 Aramoana massacre and the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings.
In Germany, access to guns is controlled by the German Weapons Act, which was first enacted in 1972, and superseded by the law of 2003. This federal statute regulates the handling of firearms and ammunition as well as acquisition, storage, commerce and maintenance of firearms.
Gun laws in California regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the state of California in the United States.
This is a list of laws concerning air guns by country.
Gun control in Italy incorporates the political and regulatory aspects of firearms usage in the country within the framework of the European Union's Firearm Directive. Different types of gun licenses can be obtained from the national police authorities. According to a 2007 study by The Small Arms Survey Project, the per capita gun ownership rate in Italy is around 12% with an estimated 7 million registered firearms in circulation.
Gun laws in New York regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the U.S. state of New York, outside of New York City which has separate licensing regulations. These regulations are very strict in comparison to the rest of the United States.
In Honduras, the commerce, ownership, possession and use of firearms is regulated. Escalation in crime and the use of firearms in the commission of crimes and homicides has brought political and public discourse to consider regulation of arms.
In the People's Republic of China, access by the general public to firearms is subject to some of the strictest control measures in the world. With the exception of individuals with hunting permits and some ethnic minorities, civilian firearm ownership is restricted to non-individual entities.
Gun laws in American Samoa regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the unincorporated territory of American Samoa.
Ukrainian law allows firearm ownership on may-issue basis. With approximately 10 civilian firearms per 100 people, Ukraine is the 88th most armed country in the world per capita, and 22nd overall.
Gun law in the Philippines is regulated by the Firearms and Explosives Division of the Philippine National Police. In order to possess a firearm in the Philippines, a person must be at a minimum age of 21 years and pass a background check to be issued a Possession License. They must also take a firearms training and safety course. Any history of mental illnesses or domestic violence within the individual or the family will cause an applicant to have their request rejected.
Austrian law allows firearm possession on shall-issue basis with certain classes of shotguns and rifles available without permit. With approximately 30 civilian firearms per 100 people, Austria is the 14th most armed country in the world.
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