GENEVA - The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Jill Edwards, today warned that rigorous oversight of security and policing trade fairs is necessary to prevent prohibited and inherently abusive law enforcement equipment hitting the market after such items were found on display at Milipol 2025, an arms and security trade fair held in Paris from 18 to 21 November.
"Direct-contact electric shock devices, multiple kinetic impact projectiles and multi-barrel launchers cause unnecessary suffering and ought to be banned," Edwards said. "Their trade and promotion should be prohibited across all 27 EU Member States and globally."
Under the EU Anti-Torture Regulation - first introduced in 2006 and strengthened in 2019 - companies are banned from promoting, displaying or trading certain equipment that can be used for torture or ill-treatment. In 2025, the EU further expanded the list of prohibited and controlled law enforcement items.
A wide range of equipment previously identified by the Special Rapporteur as inherently abusive were on display at the fair. Offending equipment found on display or being promoted included direct-contact electric shock weapons (batons, gloves and stun guns), spiked anti-riot shields, ammunition with multiple kinetic impact projectiles, and multi-barrel launchers. These products were marketed by Brazilian, Chinese, Czech, French, Indian, Israeli, Italian, Kazakh, North Macedonian, South Korean, Turkish and US companies.
Among the new banned items under EU law are aerial systems that deliver "injurious quantities of riot control agents," yet companies were promoting drones fitted with multi-barrel launchers capable of dispersing large quantities of chemical irritants.
After Milipol organisers were notified of the items, swift action was taken, demanding companies remove catalogue pages and items. She said one state-owned company refused to comply and its stall was shut down.
"The continued promotion of inherently abusive weapons underscores the urgent need for States to adopt my 2023 report recommendations," the expert said.
While welcoming recent EU steps to strengthen controls, Edwards stressed that regional action alone is insufficient.
"The discoveries made at Milipol show why a global, legally binding Torture-Free Trade Treaty is essential," the Special Rapporteur said. "Without coordinated international regulation, abusive equipment will simply find new markets, new routes and new victims."
She urged all organisers of security, defence and policing exhibitions worldwide to establish robust monitoring, enforce bans consistently, and cooperate fully with independent investigators.
"Milipol's response was swift and responsible," the expert said. "But the fact that banned items were exhibited at all shows that constant vigilance is essential."
Edwards raised these issues on previous occasions and will continue to monitor relevant developments.
