military personnel in countries including Canada,382 the US,383 France,384 Singapore385 and
South Korea.386 Polish company European Security Academy offers training courses to law
enforcement and military personnel and civilians in their purpose-built training centre and
around the world.387 The company has reportedly held training courses in 15 countries
including Colombia, Kenya, Russia and Ukraine, and its clients have included the
Bangladeshi Special Forces, “soldiers from Saudi Arabia who serve in the prison system”
and the Saudi “anti-terrorism police”.388 The company promotes training aimed at, inter
alia, SWAT teams and riot control units.389
Such technical assistance and training can play an important role in facilitating the
appropriate use of law enforcement equipment in line with regional and international human
rights standards. However, if not adequately regulated, there is a danger that the provision of
certain training – whether by State entities or by commercial companies - may promote and
legitimise potentially abusive practices (as illustrated by the case study below).
9.1. Illustrative case of concern: provision of training by Euro Security Products
An example of a CoE-based company that provides security equipment and training of
concern is Euro Security Products. This Czech company manufactures and supplies electric
shock devices, mechanical restraint devices, batons and RCA dispersal devices for law
enforcement, correctional and military personnel as well as for civilian use. Euro Security
Products also designs and delivers training for law enforcement and security personnel
worldwide. The company has delivered training to police forces in the following CoE
countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Georgia, Latvia and Spain. In addition they have trained
police forces in Botswana, China, D.R. Congo, India, Kosovo (UN), Mexico, Nigeria,
Uganda, and Venezuela.390
382
Bonowi IPE GmbH Facebook page, post uploaded 25 July 2016,
https://www.facebook.com/217694444950514/photos/a.226142057439086.57025.217694444950514/10554377
71176173/?type=3&theater (accessed 30 November 2017).
383
See video http://www.bonowi.cn/en/?p=4839 (accessed 13 December 2017).
384
Bonowi IPE GmbH Facebook page, post uploaded on 6 January 2016 reads: “Bonowi EKA Training with a
great French Army Team”,
https://www.facebook.com/217694444950514/photos/pcb.933636666689618/933636203356331/?type=3
(accessed 15 December 2017).
385
Bonowi IPE GmbH Facebook page, post uploaded on 3 June 2015 reads: “Training in Singapur”
https://www.facebook.com/BonowiIPE/posts/834369459949673 (accessed 15 December 2017).
386
Bonowi IPE GmbH Facebook page, post uploaded on 7 December 2014 reads: “Bonowi Training Seoul”
https://www.facebook.com/BonowiIPE/photos/a.621177691268852.1073741828.217694444950514/750043681
715585/ (accessed 15 December 2017).
387
European Security Academy website, http://www.euseca.com/en/about-us/introduction/ (accessed 30
November 2017).
388
See AFP video, available at
<https://www.youtube.com/v/RsH9WcyZKuE&hd=1?rel=0&wmode=transparent> (accessed and archived 19
December 2016).
389
European Security Academy promotional catalogue, available at http://www.euseca.com/en/aboutus/introduction/ (accessed 18 January 2018).
390
See Euro Security Products website, (in particular photo-gallery), http://www.eurosecurity.info/en/photogallery.html and http://www.euro-security.info/en/training-courses-esp/photogallery-espcourses.html; Training courses ESP, References http://www.euro-security.info/en/training-coursesesp/references.html (all accessed 18 January 2018). For further information including previous correspondence
with the company see: Amnesty International and Omega Research Foundation, Grasping the nettle: ending
Europe’s trade in torture and execution technology, ACT 01/1632/2015, 2015.
72
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