In November 2023, investigators from Omega and Amnesty International French Section were granted access to monitor the Milipol international security equipment trade fair, then taking place in Paris, by the fair’s organisers, Civipol and Comexposium. This independent monitoring was to ensure that no companies participating in Milipol were breaching provisions of the EU Anti-Torture Regulation or relevant French Law. The Omega and Amnesty investigators uncovered promotion by Chinese companies of a range of inherently abusive torture equipment, notably spiked batons, thumbcuffs, weighted leg cuffs, weighted leg cuffs with attached handcuffs, and spiked arm guards. All of these types of equipment are prohibited under the EU Anti-Torture Regulation and French Law. On discovery, the Omega-Amnesty team reported their findings to the fair organisers, who promptly took compliance measures to ensure that the Chinese companies removed the offending promotional materials from their stalls. Omega also uncovered promotion at Milipol by Chinese, Czech, French, Italian, South Korean, Turkish, and United States companies of an additional range of goods the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture had determined to be “inherently abusive”. Such equipment included direct contact electric shock weapons (including electric shock ‘stun guns’, electric shock batons, and electric shock gloves), ammunition containing multiple kinetic impact projectiles (KIPs), and multi-barrel launchers.
On 11th June 2024, Omega sent a formal Submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture reporting our investigative findings from Milipol. Omega’s submission highlighted the need to better regulate such trade fairs, which take place in all world regions. It was sent to the Special Rapporteur in advance of Eurosatory, another major security equipment trade fair that was being held in Paris, later in June 2024.
Following our submission, the UN Special Rapporteur sent a formal letter to the French Government highlighting her concerns at our findings and requesting that the French Government provide the Rapporteur with:
- Any additional information or comments in relation to the information from Milipol 2023.
- Information on the measures adopted by the French Government to examine the above-mentioned information regarding the promotion and exhibition of inherently cruel, inhuman or degrading goods at Milipol.
- Information on the measures adopted, or considered by the French Government to prohibit and prevent the display and trade of the above-mentioned items at the Eurosatory 2024 exhibition and similar events in the future.
The UN Special Rapporteur’s correspondence, which was made public last week, was highly significant, being the first time that any UN Special Rapporteur or other UN Special Procedures mandate-holder has initiated such fact-finding measures with regard to activities at international security equipment trade fairs.
Omega supports and applauds the UN Special Rapporteur’s action in this case and requests that it be replicated by her in advance of other international security equipment trade fairs where torture equipment has previously been or is likely to be promoted. To date the French Government has not publicly responded to the UN Special Rapporteur’s information request.