A report by Amnesty International and the Omega Research Foundation entitled “My Eye Exploded” notes that rubber bullets and other types of so-called “non-lethal cartridges” are increasingly being used to disperse demonstrators. This leads to numerous injuries, and sometimes even death.
Report based on a 5-year study conducted in over thirty countries. Its authors call on the world community to control the circulation and production of such special equipment more strictly. Amnesty International’s military, security and law enforcement expert Patrick Wilken said:
“We believe that there is an urgent need for legally binding regulation of the production and commercialization of these less lethal weapons, especially ‘kinetic strike charges’.
The authors of the report also draw attention to the fact that as a result of the “indiscriminate” and “disproportionate” use of force, thousands of protesters and bystanders were maimed, and dozens more were killed. Among the most common injuries are fractures, rupture of the eyeball, damage to internal organs.
At the height of the “yellow vest” protests in France, about two and a half thousand people were injured. In Chile, 440 eye injuries have been recorded since protests began in October 2019. However, Amnesty International argues that the actual figures are likely to be much higher.
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