BUSINESSES making money from the trade in equipment used to administer the death penalty and torture prisoners face a EU crackdown under tough new proposals.
European countries prohibited exporting goods such as electric chairs, gallows, drugs for lethal injections and items such as restraint chairs, shackles, leg irons and thumb screws after an EU-wide ban introduced years ago.
However, loopholes remain in the regulations allowing companies to continue to profit from the trade.
Some states continue to allow firms to advertise and promote such items at trade fairs as well as move them through the continent or broker deals over them.
MEPs voted to tighten up such gaps in the law earlier this week ahead of negotiations with EU governments on finalising the legislation before it is implemented by member states.
Dr Michael Crowley of Omega Research Foundation, which works with Amnesty International to campaign against the trade, said: “The European Parliament has exposed Europe’s involvement in the trade in tools of torture and execution, and proposed effective measures to put an end to these activities.
“It is now critical that the UK and its EU partners respond positively to these recommendations and prevent EU companies from profiting from the transfer of goods and technologies that can be used to torture and execute people.
“If the UK and other EU member states fail to act, this rare opportunity to comprehensively strengthen the control regime and close loopholes that can be exploited by unscrupulous traders will be missed.”
Iverna McGowan, acting director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office, added: “With its endorsement of this report, which calls to close existing loopholes in EU law, the European Parliament has exposed and taken a stand against the sinister trade of tools of torture.
“This would finally put an end to companies profiting from tools and technologies used to torture and execute people. However without vital support and action by the EU member states, companies will still be able to profit from human misery.”
Research by Amnesty International has revealed that last year 607 people were executed in 22 countries around the world, while more than 2,466 men and women were sentenced to death. It also found that more than 100 countries were involved in torture and ill-treatment of prisoners.
Alyn Smith, the SNP MEP and a member of the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee, said the move was an important step in protecting human rights around the world.
“European companies must stop benefiting from the barbaric global business of torture and executions and the European Parliament made sure that EU trade policy serves to protect human rights, the fight against torture and the eradication of the death penalty across the world,” he said.
“These proposals close the loopholes and promote an ethical foreign policy for the whole of Europe. The UK must sign up to them and enthusiastically implement them.”
The UK complies with an EU export ban on torture and execution equipment and also has in place some restrictions over brokering, transport and advertising of such devices.
However, campaigners are concerned over the enforcement of controls in the UK after breaches at a London trade fair where products used for torture were advertised.
“Campaigners and parliamentarians have found goods promoted in the fairs which are prohibited under UK law and EU law. People have not been prosecuted,” added Crowley.
MEPs also backed a proposal to introduce a targeted “end use” mechanism allowing EU states to immediately suspend a specific transfer of goods destined for use in torture or the death penalty, even if such goods are not currently on a banned list.
Currently, if intelligence suggests there is to be an imminent transfer of such equipment which is clearly going to be used for torture or the death penalty, the member state has no choice but to allow the transfer to go ahead or risk breaking EU law.
The proposal, backed by MEPs, would mean that member states would have the ability and the responsibility to halt a transfer of equipment if they know that this equipment is going to be used for torture or the death penalty, irrespective of whether or not the equipment is on the list.
“Such an end use clause would ensure that states can respond quickly when new security products come onto the market or states are trying to find new drugs for executing people,” said Crowley.
A spokeswoman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) said the details of the proposals would be considered.
A spokesman for Defence Security Equipment International said: “The display or marketing of category A goods in the UK is already expressly prohibited under the terms of the UK Export Control Act, which has been in place since 2002.
“It is the responsibility of the UK Government, through HMRC, BIS and other agencies, to enforce the law at DSEI. All exhibitors are contractually bound to ensure that they exhibit at DSEI in a manner which is compliant with all relevant arms control legislation.
“No compliance-related incidents were reported at DSEI in 2015.”
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