Irish-owned firm denies selling ‘tools of torture’

AN Irish-owned company in Spain has denied it is involved in distributing what Amnesty International calls “tools of torture”.

A report by the human rights body says, despite the banning of items such as electroshock belts, fixed wall restraints and metal thumb cuffs, European companies are involved in the trade.

Three years ago the EU banned international trade in policing and security equipment designed for torture and ill-treatment, but Amnesty says that, because of loopholes, their sale and export continues.

In some cases manufacturers rename equipment to get around the law that lists the banned items. Instead, there should be a catch-all clause that would prohibit trade in items clearly designed for torture and ill-treatment, says Colm O’Gorman of Amnesty in Ireland.

One of the examples are 50,000 volt electric shock “cuffs” or “sleeves” for use on prisoners.

“A legal loophole permits their trade despite essentially similar electric stun belts being prohibited for import and export across the EU,” the report says.

It says that suppliers in Italy and Spain are promoting them and one of the companies, Tactical Defense Systems, is owned by Irish man Liam Kearns, who is based in Malaga.

Mr Kearns, who spoke to Amnesty when they were preparing the report, said he took the electric shock cuffs off his website after their call. However, he believes, if used properly, they could be very useful to police and security forces.

A former member of the British Special Forces who fought in Iraq during the Desert Storm war, he says he was tortured by Iraqis.

“I have the scar tissue to prove it and I am very aware of the different methods.”

He believes the cuffs – which by remote control can deliver an electric shock to the limb it is attached to and immobilise it – is a better way of restraining prisoners on a flight for instance: “It means that others are not exposed to the danger of an air marshal using a gun for instance.

“I thought it was really good. The question of it being used to torture – you can go into any store or kitchen and misuse knives and things there for torture”, he said, adding that he believed it was safer than Taser guns that can cause much greater damage.

His company sells a range of equipment from boots to batons to mainly the police in Spain and he also helps with training. He said they do not sell to just anybody and need proof of who they are, need an end user certificate and deliver to the address given.

Amnesty says the use of any electric-shock stun device attached to the human body and designed for use on prisoners or detainees cannot be justified under international law prohibiting torture or other ill-treatment.