Chemical irritants 5.4 GRENADES OR CARTRIDGES CONTAINING CHEMICAL IRRITANTS Chemical irritant grenades can be hand-thrown or weapon-launched. Cartridge-launched projectiles can be fired from specialist less lethal launchers and shotguns. Key Technical Features Grenades and projectiles may contain any kind of chemical irritant, and mixtures thereof, and may also include secondary effects such as dye, smoke, or impact projectiles. Some grenades or cartridges separate into two or more ‘submunitions’. Some grenades or cartridges contain an explosive charge to disperse powdered irritant, and some contain a pyrotechnic to disperse irritant smoke through burning. Human Rights Concerns Statements and Standards from Human Rights Bodies The people targeted, as well as bystanders, could easily be injured by the kinetic impact of the munitions, or by fragments, submunitions, or shrapnel. Due to the high risk they may cause injury, grenades or cartridges that contain explosives should not be used. OSCE/ODIHR and Venice Commission: “Tear gas canisters should never be fired directly at or against a person”. 111 Some national export control regimes include this type of projectile on their list of equipment that requires an export licence. Examples of Existing Controls As some countries class this equipment as 'civilian' or 'policing' rather than 'military', they are not always adequately controlled and reported. The EU may prohibit the export of this equipment under its sanction regime when the objective of the sanctions is to prevent the export of equipment that might be used for internal repression in the destination state. Manufacture should be controlled. Proposed Control Trade and transfer should be controlled. Use should conform with international human rights standards. Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR, Guidelines on freedom of peaceful assembly (3rd edition), 8 July 2019, pp. 72-73. 111 93