DSEI weapons fair: authoritarian regimes descend on London

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Azerbaijan and Bahrain are among 61 countries the UK government has invited to biennial event

Authoritarian regimes including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and Azerbaijan are among the official guests invited by the UK government to one of the world's largest arms bazaars, opening in London's Docklands this week.

The biennial weapons fair, which opens on Tuesday, is the focus of an increasingly heated debate between those who say major weapons producers such as Britain cannot claim at the same time to defend human rights, and those who say the arms industry provides tens of thousands of jobs and valuable exports.