EU Takes Bold Step Against Torture Tools in Landmark Regulation Overhaul

The European Union has taken a significant step in the global fight against torture with the formal adoption of updated anti-torture regulations on 31 July 2025. These revised lists of prohibited and controlled law enforcement instruments mark a sweeping expansion of oversight on equipment that has been historically linked to abuse, ill-treatment, and torture.

A Victory for Human Rights Oversight

Alice Jill Edwards, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture, commended the EU’s move, calling it a major development in protecting individuals from the risks of torture and ill-treatment at the hands of law enforcement agencies.

“By expanding the types of law enforcement equipment that are subject to oversight and scrutiny, the amended regulation will significantly strengthen protections against torture and other ill-treatment facilitated by means of weaponry and equipment,” said Edwards in her statement.

Banned Instruments: A Harsh History Ends

The revised EU regulation includes a comprehensive list of items now either strictly regulated or completely banned. These include instruments long considered incompatible with humane law enforcement:

• Gang chains and leg irons

• Hoods and blindfolds

• Weighted batons

• Lathis and sjamboks (heavy, whip-like weapons often used in riot control)

• Body armour with spikes or serrations

“These weapons have no place in law enforcement,” Edwards declared, “as they can devastate individuals through life-changing injuries or even death.”

The new list goes beyond traditional torture instruments and addresses modern technologies and methods that can be misused in crowd control or detention environments.

Riot Control Weapons Under Fire

A key innovation in the revised regulation is its attention to the misuse of riot control tools. The regulation now prohibits certain dispersal methods of chemical irritants (such as tear gas) and impact projectiles when delivered through means considered indiscriminate, such as:

• Aerial dispersal systems

• Fixed prison-mounted delivery mechanisms

“These systems allow for the indiscriminate infliction of pain,” Edwards explained, “often in confined environments or during peaceful protests, where the risk of harm is compounded.”

Building on a UN Momentum

The update follows Edwards’ call at the 2023 United Nations General Assembly for a global agreement to regulate the trade and use of law enforcement items capable of torture. During that assembly, she introduced a list of 20 inherently torturous items, many of which are now reflected in the EU’s revised anti-torture lists.

While welcoming the EU’s progress, Edwards was clear that the problem is not regional but global. “Regulatory measures in Europe are a positive example of how to end this widespread and booming trade in torture tools, however the challenge is global,” she stated.

An Appeal to States and Corporations

Edwards called on all countries—and the private sector—to join the fight. “Companies, too, should become key stakeholders in this endeavor,” she emphasized. “This is not an anti-trade or anti-business proposal. It is anti-torture.”

The Special Rapporteur's comments underscore the reality that the global market for law enforcement equipment—particularly in unregulated or opaque jurisdictions—has facilitated human rights abuses worldwide.

Looking Ahead

This landmark move by the European Union offers a blueprint for responsible regulation and serves as a moral imperative for other regions to follow. As torture and cruel treatment persist in many parts of the world under the guise of law enforcement or crowd control, robust international norms are becoming increasingly urgent.

Edwards’ continued advocacy signals hope for a future in which such tools of brutality are not only banned but globally eradicated from practice and profit.