UN Torture Expert Warns of Global Threat as Banned Weapons Found at Milipol 2025

Edwards confirmed that a range of devices long recognised as tools of torture or cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment were openly displayed or promoted at the fair.

UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Jill Edwards, has issued a stark warning after prohibited law enforcement weapons were discovered on display at Milipol 2025—a major international arms and security trade fair held in Paris from 18 to 21 November. Her findings have intensified concerns about the global circulation of inherently abusive equipment and highlighted gaps in oversight mechanisms even within regions that have strict legal prohibitions, such as the European Union.

Banned and Abusive Weapons Found on Display

Edwards confirmed that a range of devices long recognised as tools of torture or cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment were openly displayed or promoted at the fair. These included:

• Direct-contact electric shock weapons, such as stun batons, electric shock gloves, and handheld stun devices

• Spiked anti-riot shields, designed to inflict pain rather than protect

• Multiple kinetic impact projectiles and associated ammunition, capable of causing severe injuries

• Multi-barrel launchers that can fire volleys of impact rounds or chemical irritants

Many of these devices have been repeatedly highlighted by UN experts as “inherently abusive” because their primary function is to inflict pain, intimidate, or punish rather than facilitate safe and lawful policing.

Shockingly, the items were marketed by companies from a wide range of countries, including Brazil, China, Czechia, France, India, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, North Macedonia, South Korea, Türkiye and the United States.

Violations of EU Anti-Torture Law

Under the EU Anti-Torture Regulation, first enacted in 2006 and strengthened significantly in 2019 and again in 2025, the promotion, sale, and display of specific law enforcement items deemed likely to lead to torture or ill-treatment is strictly prohibited across all 27 EU Member States.

The EU’s newly expanded 2025 list includes:

• Direct-contact electroshock devices

• Spiked shields

• Certain impact projectiles and ammunition

• Aerial systems capable of delivering large amounts of chemical irritants

Despite these clear restrictions, companies at Milipol showcased drones equipped with multi-barrel launchers capable of dispersing chemical irritants, directly violating the updated EU rules.

Edwards noted that these systems are specifically banned because they can deliver “injurious quantities of riot control agents,” posing severe risks when used against crowds or in confined public spaces.

Swift but Limited Response From Milipol Organisers

Upon being notified, Milipol organisers took immediate action. They demanded the removal of catalogue pages and the withdrawal of prohibited items from display. In one case, a state-owned company refused to comply, prompting organisers to shut down its entire exhibition stall—a rare and decisive enforcement measure.

Edwards welcomed this response but stressed that the presence of banned items in the first place reflects serious weaknesses in pre-event monitoring.

“Milipol’s response was swift and responsible,” she said. “But the fact that banned items were exhibited at all shows that constant vigilance is essential.”

Call for a Comprehensive Torture-Free Trade Treaty

While acknowledging the EU’s strengthened regulatory framework, Edwards emphasised that regional action is insufficient. She warned that without a holistic global system, companies barred from marketing their weapons in Europe will simply shift to jurisdictions with weaker controls.

“The discoveries made at Milipol show why a global, legally binding Torture-Free Trade Treaty is essential,” she said. “Without coordinated international regulation, abusive equipment will find new markets, new routes and new victims.”

Her 2023 report to the UN Human Rights Council outlined a detailed blueprint for such a treaty, proposing global licensing standards, cross-border monitoring, and cooperation among customs agencies to prevent illicit transfers.

Growing Concern Over Policing Technology and Human Rights

The incident at Milipol adds to rising global concern about the misuse of law enforcement technologies—from electroshock devices to autonomous drones—in contexts where police violence, repression of protests, and torture remain prevalent.

Human rights defenders say the unchecked expansion of the security technology market, coupled with weak oversight in many regions, has created an ecosystem where harmful devices are readily available to governments with troubling human rights records.

The UN expert warned that trade fairs—often attended by thousands of buyers, manufacturers, and state representatives—act as key distribution hubs for such equipment and must be subject to rigorous scrutiny.

Stronger Oversight Urged for Global Security Expos

Edwards called on all organisers of policing, defence, and security exhibitions worldwide to:

• Establish stringent pre-screening procedures for exhibitors

• Enforce bans on prohibited equipment consistently

• Cooperate fully with independent investigators and human rights monitors

• Report non-compliant companies to relevant national and regional authorities

She also encouraged States to adopt domestic laws aligning with international standards to ensure companies under their jurisdiction cannot participate in abusive trade practices.

Ongoing Monitoring and UN Engagement

Edwards reiterated that she has raised similar concerns in past communications and will continue to monitor developments in the policing and security equipment industry. She noted that the Milipol findings should serve as a wake-up call to governments, industry actors, and international regulatory bodies.

“Rigorous oversight is not optional—it is essential,” she said. “Without it, inherently abusive weapons will continue to circulate, placing individuals at risk of torture and ill-treatment.”