Amnesty International: Czech Republic exporting products intended for torture

The international human rights organisation Amnesty International has released a report stating that the Czech Republic and Germany are exporting products that are intended for torture. Amnesty says that the two countries have taken advantage of legal loopholes to permit the export of police equipment and coercive devices, such as shackles that give electric shocks, to at least nine countries where they are used for torture. According to the organisation’s report, these sales have continued in spite of EU-wide control measures adopted in 2006. The report is to be discussed in the European Parliament’s subcommittee on human rights on Thursday.