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UN experts on Wednesday expressed their disapproval of the National Police of the Irish Republic’s (Gardaí) acquisition and use of less-lethal weapons such as “double-strength pepper spray” and tasers for crowd control.
Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Gina Romero, and Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Alice Jill Edwards, stated that the use of such weapons “carries serious risks of human rights violations, including the absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” They noted that the weapons were acquired following a “pattern of opacity and lack of public debate,” with safeguards unclear.
Gardaí forces announced the decision to equip 128 uniformed officers with tasers in December 2025. Acting Deputy Commissioner, Paul Cleary, confirmed tasers will only be issued to officials who are also equipped with body-worn cameras. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) criticized this decision. According to Joe O’Brien, Executive Director of ICCL, “introducing tasers into frontline community policing marks a significant shift in our model of policing by consent – and it’s a shift which the public have not had any input into.”
The UN experts held that the introduction of tasers serves no legitimate purpose and they are therefore prohibited. Tasers fall “under Category A of the preliminary list of items identified… as being inherently cruel, inhuman or degrading.”
Gardaí forces were also recently equipped with double-strength pepper spray, which was used against protesters in October 2025. According to a report released by the Irish Network of Legal Observers, the use of force by Gardaí in dispersing demonstrators constituted a violation of both international human rights obligations and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). There is evidence in the report of continued use of pepper spray against retreating protesters, and targeting of legal observers.
The experts emphasized Ireland’s obligations under international human rights instruments. Specifically, Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) on the right of peaceful assembly. As the experts clarify, the use of force against demonstrators “must comply with the fundamental principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, precaution and non-discrimination.”
The experts contacted the Irish Government regarding these concerns.
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Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Gina Romero, and Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Alice Jill Edwards, stated that the use of such weapons “carries serious risks of human rights violations, including the absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” They noted that the weapons were acquired following a “pattern of opacity and lack of public debate,” with safeguards unclear.
Gardaí forces announced the decision to equip 128 uniformed officers with tasers in December 2025. Acting Deputy Commissioner, Paul Cleary, confirmed tasers will only be issued to officials who are also equipped with body-worn cameras. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) criticized this decision. According to Joe O’Brien, Executive Director of ICCL, “introducing tasers into frontline community policing marks a significant shift in our model of policing by consent – and it’s a shift which the public have not had any input into.”
The UN experts held that the introduction of tasers serves no legitimate purpose and they are therefore prohibited. Tasers fall “under Category A of the preliminary list of items identified… as being inherently cruel, inhuman or degrading.”
Gardaí forces were also recently equipped with double-strength pepper spray, which was used against protesters in October 2025. According to a report released by the Irish Network of Legal Observers, the use of force by Gardaí in dispersing demonstrators constituted a violation of both international human rights obligations and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). There is evidence in the report of continued use of pepper spray against retreating protesters, and targeting of legal observers.
The experts emphasized Ireland’s obligations under international human rights instruments. Specifically, Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) on the right of peaceful assembly. As the experts clarify, the use of force against demonstrators “must comply with the fundamental principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, precaution and non-discrimination.”
The experts contacted the Irish Government regarding these concerns.
The post UN experts criticize Ireland police use of “less-lethal” weapons at protests appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.