shooting gun
© enquirer.comPepperball gun - a less-lethal weapon.
Law enforcement agencies around the world routinely use "less-lethal" weapons and equipment for torture, leading human rights organizations stated Monday. Amnesty International and the Omega Research Foundation made the statement as they launched a briefing at the United Nations Crime Congress, underway in Doha, Qatar.


Comment: Omega Research Foundation, independent UK-based research organization providing research on the manufacture, trade in, and use of, military, security and police technologies, "tools of torture"...and provide redress for torture survivors.


The advocacy groups recommended the application of stricter controls or bans on the use of weapons and other law enforcement equipment professionally defined as "less lethal" due to the high risks involved.

Police forces and prison officials have at their disposal a dizzying array of weapons and kit that, while known as 'less-lethal', can cause serious injury or even death," Marek Marczynski, Head of Military, Security and Police at Amnesty International said, as quoted in the statement.

He added that in dozens of countries around the world, Amnesty International has documented police use of tear gas, rubber bullets and electric shock equipment, among many other dangerous devices, to quell protests and subjugate detainees.

"Clearer standards are urgently needed for the selection, testing, use and evaluation of such equipment to ensure its use is in line with international human rights law and standards," the human rights group official said.

Amnesty International and Omega stressed the importance of developing less-lethal weapons, equipment and technologies, to reduce the risk of death or injury inherent in police use of firearms and other weapons.


Comment: In 2008 Omega exposed the supply of US made acoustic crowd control weapons to China in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics, circumventing US laws which forbid the sale of policing equipment to China.

In 2009 Omega helped to trace, track and call for the halting of a ship carrying weapons from the US to Ashdod in Israel. Omega researchers identified weapons and ordnance used by the Israeli Army in the Gaza conflict.

2011 UK and France revoked arms export licenses to Libya and Bahrain over protest suppression equipment which included:
- Belgian assault rifles and 'less lethal' riot grenade launcher in Libya;
- French 56mm CS 'tear gas' grenades and launchers in Bahrain and Syria;
- German small arms in Libya and Egypt;
- Italian police vehicles (with roof hatches used to fire weapons from) in Egypt;
- UK riot control vehicles in Libya (and associated police riot control training);
- US-made CS 'tear gas' canisters in Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen;
- US-made rubber multi-baton rounds in Bahrain.