Human rights groups have censured a major UK-sponsored “security trade show” that aims to sell non-lethal weaponry and crowd control gadgets to some of the world’s most oppressive regimes.
Among the governments invited to take part in the privately-held fair in Farnborough, Hampshire, are Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Israel, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Turkey, which have widely been denounced for brutal tactics their forces use against public protests, British daily The Guardian reported Saturday.
Police and security officials from 79 countries are expected to participate in the fair, officially sponsored by the British government’s Home Office, facilitating potentially lucrative sales of non-lethal armaments and surveillance equipment by UK-based corporations.