NewzIntel.com

Category: Security

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Delivers More Than $344,000 of Baby Formula to Bronx Families

    Source: US State of New York

    EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that her office secured more than $344,000 worth of baby formula from Marine Park Distribution Inc. (Marine Park) for families in the Bronx. The donation is part of the $675,000 worth of baby formula that Attorney General James secured as a result of her settlement with Marine Park and its affiliate Formula Depot Inc. (Formula Depot) for illegal price gouging during the nationwide formula shortage in 2022. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that Marine Park and Formula Depot raised prices of formula during the shortage in violation of New York’s price gouging laws. At times, Marine Park doubled the price of a can of formula, charging its customers up to $36 for a can of formula that cost $18 before the shortage. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) will work with Roads to Success, a nonprofit in the Bronx, to distribute the formula to families in need.

    “Using a national emergency to raise prices on hardworking families who are struggling to find enough food for their children is despicable,” said Attorney General James. “Marine Park broke the law when they took advantage of a dangerous formula shortage to make even higher profits, and now they have to pay for it. Thanks to my office’s investigation, today we’re delivering essential baby formula to families in the Bronx. I thank Roads to Success for their work to distribute this formula to those in need, and I will continue to go after price gougers who try to cheat New Yorkers during a crisis.”

    “We are deeply grateful to Attorney General Letitia James and her office for their unwavering commitment to supporting families in need,” said Sheila Duke, CEO of Roads to Success. “Access to baby formula is not just a necessity, it is a lifeline for parents striving to provide for their children. At Roads to Success, we witness struggles of families facing food insecurity, and we know how critical this support is for the health and well-being of infants in our community. This generous donation will bring much-needed relief to Bronx families. We are honored to play a pivotal role in distributing these essential resources and remain committed to advocating for the well-being of the families we serve.”

    New York’s price gouging laws prohibit vendors from unconscionably increasing prices on goods that are vital to consumers’ health, safety, or welfare during market disruptions such as the 2022 formula shortage. In May 2022, Attorney General James issued warnings to more than 30 retailers across the state to stop overcharging for baby formula after consumers reported unreasonably high prices.

    Baby formula is a critical food source for the vast majority of infants across the country. Three out of four infants in the U.S. consume baby formula during the first six months of their lives. The 2022 shortage caused by a manufacturing plant closure and recall created significant hardship for families across New York as supplies dwindled and prices rose. An OAG investigation found that Marine Park, which sells baby formula to retailers, and Formula Depot, which sells to consumers online, raised prices over 60 percent more than was allowed under the law during the shortage, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars more in revenue. One consumer, who relied on Formula Depot for formula safe for babies with milk and soy allergies, bought a case of formula for $190, only to be charged $245 for the same case just a few weeks later.

    As a result of OAG’s investigation, Marine Park and Formula Depot must provide $675,000 of baby formula that Attorney General James will donate to New Yorkers in need by November 2025. In addition, the two companies are barred from future price gouging and have paid a $75,000 penalty to the state. In December 2024, Attorney General James made the first formula donation of 3,300 cans of baby formula worth about $140,000 to Foodlink in Rochester. Today’s donation will deliver 7,520 cans of powder formula and 3,510 bottles of liquid formula to families in the Bronx through Roads to Success, a nonprofit organization that runs a DYCD Cornerstone Program for youth and adults at the Boston Secor Community Center.

    Bronx residents face the highest rate of food insecurity in the state, with nearly one in three children lacking consistent access to enough food. Child poverty in the Bronx is higher than in any other county in New York, and Bronx residents use food pantries at a higher rate than residents of any other borough. The OAG’s formula donation will provide much-needed food assistance to families in need.

    “This donation provides necessary relief for Bronx families, ensuring parents don’t have to choose between feeding their children and affording other necessities,” said Senator Nathalia Fernandez. “I applaud Attorney General James for turning a bad situation into meaningful action—taking the greed of price gougers and using it to support the very people they tried to exploit.”

    “No parent should ever have to choose between feeding their child and paying their bills. The price gouging during the formula shortage was not only an exploitation of desperation but a direct attack on struggling families. Today’s victory is a testament to the power of accountability,” said Senator Robert Jackson. “I commend Attorney General James for standing firm against corporate greed and ensuring Bronx families receive the support they deserve. This donation is more than just baby formula—it’s a symbol of our unwavering commitment to economic justice, dignity, and the fundamental right of every child to be nourished and cared for.”

    “No parent should have to worry about how they will feed their child,” said Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz. “This significant donation of baby formula, secured by Attorney General James, will bring vital relief to Bronx families who have faced unnecessary hardship due to price gouging. I applaud Attorney General James for holding bad actors accountable and ensuring our communities receive the support they deserve.”

    “Today’s donation of over $344,000 worth of baby formula is a vital step in ensuring that Bronx families have access to the essential resources they need,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. “We applaud Attorney General James for holding those who took advantage of vulnerable families accountable and securing these necessary goods for our community. As we continue to support families in need, we are reminded of the importance of protecting New Yorkers from unfair practices, especially during times of crisis.”

    Attorney General James has been a leader in the fight to protect New York consumers and guard against price gouging. In October 2024, Attorney General James led a multistate coalition urging congressional leaders to support a national ban on price gouging. In March and April 2024, Attorney General James distributed over 9,500 cans of baby formula in Buffalo and New York City from a settlement with Walgreens for price gouging during the formula shortage. In May 2023, Attorney General James secured a $100,000 settlement with Quality King Distributors, Inc. due to unconscionable price increases for Lysol products during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2023, Attorney General James announced price gouging rules to protect consumers and small businesses from corporate profiteering. The rules would strengthen enforcement of New York’s price gouging law. In April 2021, Attorney General James delivered 1.2 million eggs to food pantries throughout the state which were secured as part of an agreement with the nation’s largest egg producers for price gouging in the early months of the pandemic. 

    New Yorkers should report potential concerns about price gouging to the OAG by filing a complaint online or calling 800-771-7755.

    This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Fishman, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Jane M. Azia and Deputy Bureau Chief Laura J. Levine, all of the Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau. Former Data Scientist Jasmine McAllister also assisted in this matter, under the supervision of Director of Research and Analytics Victoria Khan, Deputy Director Gautam Sisodia, and former Director Megan Thorsfeldt. The Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau is a part of the Division for Economic Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Chris D’Angelo and is overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Keeping Riders and Transit Workers Safe on Subways

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today marked one year since enacting her five-point subway safety plan by highlighting reductions in New York City transit crimes and her administration’s ongoing efforts to expand safety initiatives throughout the transit system. Last year, Governor Hochul announced a surge in State personnel to assist with NYPD bag checks, directing the MTA to accelerate camera installation throughout the system, and also increase the number of Subway Co-Response Outreach (SCOUT) teams throughout the system — which operate in addition to the existing Safe Options Support (SOS) teams. Earlier this year, Governor Hochul announced additional steps to increase law enforcement presence, expand public resources and strengthen mental health policies to make the transit system safer. These new measures included partnering with New York City officials to increase NYPD patrols on subway platforms and trains; installing new protective barriers on subway platforms to protect riders; upgrading fare gates and delaying egress on exit gates to help crack down on fare evasion; adding LED lighting throughout stations to increase visibility; and updating and strengthening key mental health laws to ensure that New Yorkers with severe mental illness are connected with care instead of being left to languish on subway trains and platforms.

    “Keeping New Yorkers safe is my top priority — and I’ll never stop working to ensure riders can rely on our subways to safely get wherever they need to go,” Governor Hochul said. “By adding uniformed officers to every train, fortifying our transit infrastructure, and expanding mental health outreach, we’ve made real progress in driving down transit crime. Working in partnership with law enforcement, district attorneys and mental health experts, we’re working to make the subways safer for every straphanger.”

    As a result of these initiatives, major transit crimes are down 29 percent and arrests are up 71 percent year to date. When looking at the same time period, major transit crimes are down 28 percent from pre-pandemic levels in 2019. In the first nine weeks of 2025, New York City is experiencing the lowest number of subway crimes in 30 years, outside of the pandemic. Crime is 55 percent lower than in 2001 and 32 percent lower than in 2013.

    MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “It’s not a mystery — more cops, more enforcement, and more effective mental health outreach and treatment directly cuts down on transit crime. Now we need legal changes proposed by Gov. Hochul that will ensure recidivist criminals aren’t free to keep preying on subway riders.”

    Governor’s Five Point Plan to Address Subway Safety

    Governor Hochul’s five-point plan utilizes State resources to protect New Yorkers on the subways. This includes surging State personnel to assist NYPD bag checks, a program bill that permits transit bans for individuals that assault other passengers, the addition of new cameras to protect conductor cabins, increased coordination between District Attorneys and law enforcement and an increased number of Subway Co-Response Outreach (SCOUT) teams throughout the system — which operate in addition to the existing SOS teams. These actions build on the Governor’s unprecedented investment in safety on the subways, from standing up SOS teams to directing the MTA to install cameras in every subway car. Governor Hochul also called on judges to use their expanded discretion to set bail to keep repeat offenders off the streets.

    Increasing Law Enforcement Presence Throughout the Transit System

    Governor Hochul is working in partnership with New York City to increase New York Police Department (NYPD) presence on platforms and trains by temporarily surging patrol levels in addition to the National Guardsmen that have been re-deployed into the transit system. Approximately 750 NYPD officers will be stationed across New York City with an additional 300 in the train cars themselves. The increase in enforcement will prioritize 30 subways stations and transit hubs that account for 50 percent of crime in the transit system.

    The Governor worked with New York City to increase police patrols on every overnight train for a six month time period. NYPD officers are working from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., and there are two uniformed officers onboard every subway train in service during those hours.

    This expansion of law enforcement patrols builds on the Governor’s previous announcement in December 2024 to add an additional 250 members of the National Guard to support subway safety, bringing the total to 1,000 National Guardsmen stationed at subway entrances in points throughout New York City.

    New Public Safety Resources To Protect Riders and Prevent Fare Evasion

    Governor Hochul will provide the funding to install platform edge barriers at more than 100 additional stations by the end of 2025. The selection of stations for the installation process will prioritize feasibility, including stations with standard car-stopping positions in segments of the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, F, M and L trains. Among these train lines, stations with higher ridership levels and island platforms will be prioritized.

    To address fare evasion, Governor Hochul will invest in modern fare gates in more than 20 stations across the system in 2025, and an additional 20 stations in 2026.

    Additionally, exit gates will delay egress at 150 additional stations in an effort to reduce fare evasion. At the Governor’s direction, the MTA will prioritize stations with higher ridership traffic, accessibility features and those with high fare evasion. The piloted design used in the roll-out was solicited through the MTA’s “Request for Information” to qualify the next generation of fare gates across the system. Initial installation is scheduled to begin at 42 St-Port Authority, Delancey St-Essex St and Roosevelt Av-Jackson Heights.

    The Governor will also provide funding to install LED lighting in all subway stations throughout the system which will increase visibility throughout the stations.

    Expanding Mental Health Partnerships and Resources

    Governor Hochul’s SOS initiative has successfully transitioned nearly 850 unhoused individuals into permanent housing and continues to make progress. SOS teams deployed across New York State often encounter individuals experiencing unmet medical and psychiatric needs. To address this gap, Governor Hochul is adding street medicine and street psychiatry providers to SOS teams statewide. These providers deliver timely care directly to individuals during outreach, improving access to psychiatric evaluations and medical treatment without requiring individuals to leave their belongings or seek care in hospitals. This approach is enhancing trust, building rapport and encouraging individuals to accept services and transition indoors, improving outcomes for New York’s most vulnerable residents.

    Additionally — to further help reduce homelessness in the subway system — Governor Hochul is working with the NYC Department of Homeless Services to expand their 24/7 “Welcome Center” model near end-of-line stations and will create spaces within stations that have a large presence of unhoused people for our mobile outreach teams to better connect and coordinate services.

    Governor Hochul previously announced a $20 million investment to expand the SCOUT Teams throughout the system to ten by the end of 2025, as a part of her five-point plan to protect New Yorkers on the subway. SCOUT teams are trained to address the most severe cases of mental health crisis within the subway system and assist New Yorkers in gaining access to mental health treatment and supportive housing.

    The Governor has made strengthening New York State’s mental health system a priority of her administration, landing historic investments in housing for people with mental illness and directing a large increase in inpatient psychiatric bed capacity at state-operated and community-based hospital systems. In addition, her initiatives have broadened prevention services, improved insurance coverage and expanded outpatient services for people with mental illness.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Massachusetts State Employee and Prison Inmate Charged with Conspiring to Smuggle K2-Laced Paper Into Federal Prison

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    Inmate granted clemency on Jan. 17, 2025 reducing 2022 federal prison sentence for drug distribution

    BOSTON – A Bridgewater, Mass. woman and an inmate at the federal prison FMC Devens have been charged with conspiring to distribute a synthetic cannabinoid, also known as “K2,” into FMC Devens. The inmate had been granted clemency on Jan. 17, 2025 reducing his 2022 federal prison sentence for drug distribution. 

    Tasha Hammock, 43, an employee with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and Raymond Gaines, 45, an inmate at FMC Devens, are charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance analogue. Hammock was arrested yesterday and made an initial appearance in federal court in Boston. Gaines will make an initial appearance at a later date.

    On Jan. 25, 2022, Gaines was sentenced to more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court in Boston to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. At the time he committed the offenses, he was on federal judicial supervised release after serving a prison sentence resulting from a 2017 conviction for distributing cocaine base within 1,000 feet of a school. According to court records, in both prior cases Gaines was alleged to be an associate of the Orchard Park Trailblazers, a street gang in Boston. On Jan. 17, 2025, Gaines received an Executive Grant of Clemency, reducing his current federal sentence to five years in prison.  

    According to the charging document, on Aug. 18, 2024, Hammock, while visiting Gaines in the prison, surreptitiously passed K2-laced papers to Gaines, which he pocketed. In addition, Hammock allegedly previously handled money connected with the distribution of K2 to Gaines in FMC Devens, and she allegedly received K2 at her residence for distribution into the prison. The criminal complaint describes how law enforcement became interested in Hammock’s visits to Gaines after obtaining a cellphone that had allegedly been smuggled to an inmate in the prison (“Inmate A”). In September 2023, Inmate A allegedly sent messages on the cell phone to another person (“Person 1”), discussing obtaining K2 in prison. Inmate A allegedly told Person 1 that the drugs could be delivered to a particular address in Bridgewater – later determined to be Hammock’s residence – and that Inmate A’s “co” would arrange for the drugs to be brought into the prison from there.  

    As described in the charging document, K2 presents a health problem at FMC Devens, where inmates have become sick from smoking paper believed to contain K2, as well as prison staff who have been exposed to the secondary smoke.    

    The charge of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance analogue carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.   
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: El Salvadorian National Charged With Illegal Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jorge A. Guzman-Montano, age 52, of El Salvador, was indicted on March 5, 2025, by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Guzman-Montano was previously removed from the United States on April 21, 2017, through Lorado, Texas, and it is alleged that he was subsequently found in the United States without having first obtained legal permission to reenter the country. The indictment also alleges that on February 12, 2025, Guzman-Montano was encountered in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.

    This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Dukes is prosecuting the case.

    The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is ten years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

    Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Rota Corpsmen Strengthen Fleet Medical Operations

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Rota, which is collocated with Naval Hospital Rota, serves as a critical medical and logistical support hub for U.S. and allied forces where readiness and deployment support are paramount.

    As the only military treatment facility within Spain, the command is often called upon to support temporary duty aboard Naval Station Rota based destroyers (DDGs). These sought-after assignments augment fleet medical asset onboard with trained personnel and provide junior Corpsmen opportunity to build proficiency in emergency medical response and combat readiness skills within an operational setting.

    Recently, Hospitalman Amy Pierre Pion, experienced this first-hand when she deployed with USS Bulkeley (DDG 84), an Arleigh Burk class guided missile destroyer.

    “Being on the destroyer was the best experience,” said Pierre Pion. “We got to perform several inbound and outbound medical evacuation operations that showed our ability to respond to medical emergencies quickly and efficiently.”

    This deployment highlighted NMRTC Rota’s crucial role in equipping medical professionals with the skills they need to operate in high-tempo operational environments.

    Prior to assignment on a DDG, Corpsmen like Pierre Pion, are offered additional training in acute care assessments, preventive medicine, and basic life support instruction. Underway, utilization of these skills helps them support the ships Independent Duty Corpsman in executing medical readiness operations and emergency drills, ensuring the health and safety of the ship’s crew.

    “There was great focus on getting Sailors qualified on vital skills to include stretcher-bearer instruction, CPR certification, and mass casualty procedures,” said Pierre Pion. “Additionally, we were heavily involved with preventive medicine practices from galley inspections to daily water and bacteria testing.”

    NMRTC Rota, located strategically at the gateway of the Mediterranean, generates and sustains readiness to deliver critical medical support for Department of Defense missions throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

    Navy Medicine is represented by more than 44,000 highly-trained military and civilian health care professionals – provides enduring expeditionary medical support to the warfighter on, below, and above the sea, and ashore.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Dartmouth — RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment arrests two people and seizes cocaine

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment (HRD) Street Crime Enforcement Unit (SCEU) has arrested two people and executed a search warrant in Dartmouth.

    On February 27, in relation to an ongoing drug trafficking investigation, RCMP HRD SCEU officers, with the assistance of RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment, safely arrested a 40-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman during a targeted traffic stop on a taxi travelling on Nantucket Ave in Dartmouth.

    Investigators then executed a search warrant at a residence on Charlottetown Way in Dartmouth, where they located and seized cocaine, methamphetamines, drug paraphernalia, cash and cell phones.

    The man and the woman were later released on conditions. They are scheduled to appear in Dartmouth Provincial Court on April 15, at 9:30 a.m. to face charges of Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking and Possession of Methamphetamines for the Purpose of Trafficking.

    Anyone with information about illicit drug or other criminal activity in the Halifax Regional Municipality is encouraged to contact police at 902-490-5020. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

    File: 25-17741

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The king has a tricky diplomatic role to play in inviting Trump for a state visit

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Francesca Jackson, PhD candidate, Lancaster Law School, Lancaster University

    As monarch, King Charles III is bound by constitutional convention to remain politically neutral. But that hasn’t stopped the UK government from deploying the king to advance its foreign policy agenda.

    During their inaugural meeting, Keir Starmer presented Donald Trump with a letter from the king, inviting the president for a “truly historic” and “unprecedented” second state visit to the UK and a visit to the monarch’s private Balmoral residence.

    Later that week, the government arranged for the king to meet Volodymyr Zelensky at the royal countryside retreat of Sandringham, to show support for the Ukrainian leader following his disastrous meeting with Trump.

    The government is walking a tightrope: it wants to avoid tariffs from Trump, while continuing to support Zelensky and Ukraine. And it is using the king to help it do so.

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    It is not unusual for governments to use monarchs to boost international relations, particularly through state visits. The monarch has a huge amount of soft power and the pomp and ceremony of a state visit can help governments achieve their foreign affairs aims.

    State visits differ from regular diplomatic visits: they are the most formal way in which a foreign head of state can come to the UK, and happen just once or twice a year.

    Visitors are greeted by the king and other members of the royal family with a ceremonial welcome accompanied by gun salutes on the Horse Guards Parade ground in London. They then travel back to Buckingham Palace in a carriage procession, where they enjoy a formal state banquet at which the monarch toasts the visiting head of state.

    State visits are not cheap: Trump’s first visit cost £3.5 million in policing alone. But they can play a key role in diplomacy.

    A state visit to France by Queen Elizabeth II in 1972 helped seal the deal on the UK’s third attempt at joining the the European Economic Community. And in 2024, the UK’s defence partnership with Qatar was “strengthened” following the state visit of the Qatari emir.

    There is a danger that the monarch’s reputation is affected by hosting controversial heads of state. No doubt the palace PR team is less than enthused about the prospect of Charles being seen wining and dining Trump. The optics of hosting Trump during his first state visit reportedly put the late Queen Elizabeth in a “very difficult position”.

    But monarchs have little (if any) influence over who they host for a state visit. Charles will have been advised by the government to invite Trump in accordance with the cardinal convention. This fundamental constitutional principle requires the monarch to act on the advice of the government.

    Constitutional conventions are not legally binding. But in the UK’s constitutional monarchy, the monarch reigns but does not rule and power is exercised by democratically-elected ministers rather than the sovereign. Failure by the monarch to follow convention could spark a constitutional crisis, as fictional plays and dramas have long imagined.

    A royal invitation.
    Number 10 Flickr, CC BY-ND

    This is why the late queen had to host some controversial and less-than-democratic figures. It even once led her to hide in a bush to avoid encountering Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu in the Buckingham Palace gardens.

    And it is why Charles, on the government’s advice, will host Trump.

    Laying on the royal charm

    Usually, the public doesn’t see invitations for state visits, but we did see this particular letter. Signed “Yours most sincerely, Charles”, it feels particularly personal and designed to charm Trump, whose love of the British royal family is well known. The offer of an additional visit to Balmoral is a nod to the president’s mother, who was born in Scotland.

    The king’s invitation seems to have done the diplomatic trick. Trump ended his meeting with Starmer by stating: “I think we could very well end up with a real trade deal where the tariffs wouldn’t be necessary”.

    But the visit won’t be without controversy. In the days since, a petition asking for Trump’s invitation to be withdrawn has reached nearly 200,000 signatures. But Starmer has publicly dismissed calls to withdraw the invitation.

    No doubt Charles himself is less than thrilled to invite the president, both after his recent behaviour towards Zelensky and his decision to pull the US from the Paris agreement, given the king’s advocacy on environmental issues.

    Could the king raise such issues with Trump? Charles is bound by the doctrine of political neutrality: he must refrain from acting on political opinions. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be room for other senior royals not bound by the convention, like William, from doing so.

    Indeed, as prince of wales, Charles himself showed opposition to controversial leaders, effectively boycotting Chinese state visits in 1999 and 2015 allegedly in support for the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama.

    The monarch plays an important diplomatic role, especially during state visits. While the leaders they host may be controversial, the monarch must respect constitutional boundaries. Nevertheless, with an outspoken king and heir, this visit could prove to be even more unprecedented than it already is.

    Francesca Jackson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. The king has a tricky diplomatic role to play in inviting Trump for a state visit – https://theconversation.com/the-king-has-a-tricky-diplomatic-role-to-play-in-inviting-trump-for-a-state-visit-251308

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Russia launching ‘suicide missions’ across strategic Dnipro river as pause in US aid hampers defence

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Veronika Poniscjakova, Deputy Director, Porstmouth Military Education Team, University of Portsmouth

    After publicly belittling Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in a White House meeting, Donald Trump has suspended US military aid to Ukraine and paused intelligence sharing. It is now clear that Ukraine is in trouble in both its political and military situations, and the latter will only worsen as the effects of the US aid suspension hit.

    Trump’s outburst has, to some extent, reinvigorated European support for the war-torn country. But Zelensky’s recent statement that “Ukraine is ready to negotiate about an end to the conflict” suggests that he recognises how precarious the situation has become.

    In Trump’s address to the US Congress on February 4, the US president welcomed this shift, and claimed that Russia was also ready for a truce.

    What would a negotiated peace look like? The side that holds the upper hand, both politically and militarily, will have a stronger position at the negotiating table.

    At the moment, the advantage is overwhelmingly with Russia, which is striving to press home its battlefield advantage and occupy as much territory as it can before a potential ceasefire. This is likely to mean a freezing of the conflict on its current lines of contact.

    The war has now lasted more than three years, and since Ukraine’s failed summer 2023 counteroffensive, there have been no major changes on the battlefield, except for Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region in August 2024. Kyiv had hoped that seizing this territory could serve as a bargaining chip in future peace negotiations.

    But even this has not gone according to plan, as Russia has been steadily reclaiming the area, aided by North Korean troops.

    Recent battlefield developments reaffirm the ongoing stalemate. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) (as of March 4), Russian forces continued offensives along various key strategic points in the east and south. While Russian advances continue to be slow, it’s a situation that could change quickly, particularly with the dramatic shutdown of US assistance.

    One of the key areas where Russia is now putting intense pressure on Ukrainian troops is in the Kherson oblast in the south of the country. Russian forces are reportedly attempting to cross the Dnipro river, aiming to establish footholds on the west (right) bank at four locations to allow them a clear run at the strategically important port city of Kherson.

    Russia has successfully negotiated river crossings during the three-year war, but this time, the situation seems more challenging. Recent reporting from the frontlines has described Russian assaults on Dnipro crossings as “suicide missions”, causing heavy Russian casualties.

    A high Russian body count is nothing new in this conflict. But why is Russia willing to sacrifice so many of its soldiers, particularly when the political prospects favour Putin and the Russians?

    Oleksandr Prokudin, the governor of Kherson, suggests that Russia is desperate to establish a foothold as crossing the Dnipro would open up Kherson oblast for further advances and could be used in negotiations to strengthen Russia’s claim over the entire region. The occupation of Kherson was listed by Russian defence minister, Andrei Belousov, as a key strategic goal for 2025.

    Strategic barrier

    Crossing the Dnipro will not be easy. Ukraine has tried and failed in the opposite direction on several occasions for example, in April and August 2023.

    At that stage, as part of the (ultimately unsuccessful) spring-summer offensive, Kyiv hoped crossing the river would be a major breakthrough that would lead to easier access to Crimea. This now looks like a lost cause – at least militarily.

    State of the conflict in Ukraine, March 5 2024.
    Institute for the Study of War

    The Dnipro is not only a natural barrier dividing the country into two parts. It’s also vital as a transport artery through the country and its dams provide energy.

    Russia realises this, and it has seen the river as one of Ukraine’s “centres of gravity”. On day one of the invasion, Russian forces made a beeline for the Dnipro, crossing and taking up positions that they were later forced to abandon as Ukraine fought back.

    Now, as Prokudin observed, Russia is once again throwing its troops at the river. A series of assaults in December 2024 were successfully repelled, but things have changed even in the few months since. Ukraine is in an increasingly difficult position.

    Ukraine’s military is facing increasingly critical troop shortages and has a far smaller population to draw on than Russia – something which is beginning to tell.

    And each day seems to bring further bad news. The US decision to pause intelligence sharing will mean its forces in the field will be virtually deaf and blind and at the mercy of Russian attacks on their positions (although there is reason to believe the pause may be reasonably shortlived).

    But, with the decision to halt military aid, it’s an indication of the Trump administration’s determination to force Kyiv into a peace deal – whether or not it’s acceptable to Ukraine.

    At this stage it looks almost inevitable that Ukraine will be unable to reclaim all the territory it has lost to Russia since 2014. Its best chance may be to secure what it still does control and go all-out to prevent further Russian advances. One of the ways it needs to do that right now is to ensure Russia does not establish a foothold across the Dnipro river.

    Veronika Poniscjakova does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Russia launching ‘suicide missions’ across strategic Dnipro river as pause in US aid hampers defence – https://theconversation.com/russia-launching-suicide-missions-across-strategic-dnipro-river-as-pause-in-us-aid-hampers-defence-251439

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Healthcare Providers and Laboratory Marketers Agree to Pay Over $1.9M to Settle Kickback Allegations

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    COLUMBIA, S.C. — Gerald Congdon, M.D., of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, Gbenga Aluko, M.D., of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Anup Banerjee, M.D., of Gastonia, North Carolina, and their medical practices, as well as Curis Healthcare Inc., of Chicago, Illinois, Omar Hussain, of South Miami, Florida, and Saeed Medical Group Ltd. d/b/a Alliance Immediate and Primary Care, of Chicago, Illinois, agreed to pay a total of $1,913,808 to resolve alleged False Claims Act violations arising from their involvement in laboratory kickback schemes. The parties have agreed to cooperate with the Department of Justice’s investigations of other participants in the alleged schemes.

    The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare, TRICARE, and other federally funded healthcare programs. The Anti-Kickback Statute is intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives and are instead based on the best interests of their patients.

    The settlements announced today resolve allegations that healthcare providers received kickbacks in return for their referrals to a laboratory in Anderson, South Carolina, and that a marketer and his marketing company received kickbacks from that South Carolina laboratory to arrange for laboratory testing referrals, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. The kickbacks allegedly resulted in the submission of false or fraudulent laboratory testing claims to Medicare and TRICARE in violation of the False Claims Act.

    • Dr. Gerald Congdon, Coastal Urgent Care, LLC, and Coastal Wellness Center, LLC. Dr. Congdon and his medical practices in Pawleys Island and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina agreed to pay $400,000 to resolve allegations that from May 2016 to November 2021, they received thousands of dollars in remuneration disguised as purported office space rental and phlebotomy payments from the South Carolina laboratory in return for ordering testing.
    • Dr. Gbenga Aluko and Eagle Medical Center, PC. Dr. Aluko and his medical practice in Charlotte, North Carolina agreed to pay $250,000 to resolve allegations that from May 2016 to November 2021, they received thousands of dollars in remuneration disguised as purported office space rental, phlebotomy, and toxicology payments from the South Carolina laboratory in return for ordering testing.
    • Dr. Anup Banerjee and Gastonia Medical Specialty Clinic P.A. Dr. Banerjee and his medical practice in Gastonia, North Carolina agreed to pay $206,000 to resolve allegations that from April 2017 to November 2021, they received thousands of dollars in remuneration disguised as purported office space rental and phlebotomy payments from the South Carolina laboratory in return for ordering testing.
    • Omar Hussain and Curis Healthcare Inc. Hussain and his marketing company agreed to pay $817,808 to resolve allegations that from April 2020 to August 2021, Hussain and his company received commissions from the South Carolina laboratory as independent contractors based on the volume and/or value of the Medicare and TRICARE referrals for laboratory testing that they arranged for and/or recommended.
    • Saeed Medical Group Ltd., Omar Hussain, and Curis Healthcare Inc. Saeed Medical Group and Hussain and his marketing company agreed to pay $240,000 to resolve allegations that from April 2020 to August 2021, Saeed Medical Group received thousands of dollars in remuneration in the form of cash payments from Hussain and his company in return for ordering testing from the South Carolina laboratory.

    “Integrity must be the standard in our health care system,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina. “Kickback schemes divert funds and focus away from patients and their medical needs.”

    “The public puts immense trust in medical professionals, and disdain for the rule of law damages that trust and erodes their credibility,” said Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia field office. “These settlements should serve as a reminder that the FBI and its partners are committed to holding medical practitioners accountable for kickbacks.”

    “Kickback schemes undermine medical decision-making and jeopardize the integrity of federally funded health care programs,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Our commitment is to safeguard taxpayer-funded health care and the patients who rely on it, and we will rigorously pursue any allegations of False Claims Act violations.”

    “The trust of the American taxpayer and the wellbeing of our Service members are undermined when laboratories and physicians engage in collusive financial relationships,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “DCIS will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice medical providers who illegally enrich themselves by prioritizing kickbacks over patient care.”

    The settlements were the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, with assistance from HHS-OIG, DCIS, and the FBI. The settlements announced today were handled by Senior Trial Counsel Christopher Terranova in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth C. Warren in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina. The United States previously resolved allegations that physicians in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Texas received kickbacks from the same South Carolina laboratory.

    The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Death by firing squad set to resume in the US – but no matter the method, all means of execution come with a troubling history

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College

    The firing squad chair in which Brad Sigmon will be strapped before three volunteers shoot him dead. South Carolina Department of Corrections via AP

    Barring any late developments, the U.S. is set to see its first execution by firing squad in 15 years on March 7, 2025.

    Photos released by the South Carolina Department of Corrections suggest that the prisoner, Brad Sigmon, will be strapped to a metal seat in the same small death chamber that has been the location of the state’s other executions by means of the electric chair and lethal injection. Sigmon, who was sentenced to death in 2002 for the brutal killing of his ex-girlfriend’s parents with a baseball bat, chose death by firing squad over other forms of execution under a 2021 law that allows inmates that option.

    According to the state’s firing squad protocol, the condemned man will have a hood put over his head and a target placed on his heart. Three volunteers will then shoot him from a distance of 15 feet. They will stand behind a wall with a small opening.

    But this method of execution has raised concern over the safety of observers of the execution. Meanwhile, others object to the use of a firing squad as a relic of a brutal past not fitting for modern times.

    As someone who has studied execution methods in the U.S., I see the resumption of death by firing squad as part of a morbid search for “better” execution methods. It comes amid concern over botched lethal injection attempts and a scarcity of the drugs needed to carry out such executions.

    In 2020, the first Trump administration expanded how federal execution can be carried out to include ghoulish methods such as hanging, the electric chair, gas chamber and, indeed, the firing squad.

    But revisiting all methods reveals a checkered history. Each has, at one time or other, been touted as humane only to be sidelined because its use was found to be gruesome and offensive. Given that history, there are questions over whether the resumption of death by firing squad can serve any purpose other than continuing a death penalty system deemed to be a cruel outlier among modern societies.

    The noose and the chair

    Let’s start with hanging.

    Hanging was the execution method of choice throughout most of American history, and it was used in America’s last public execution in 1936, when Rainey Bethea was put to death in Owensboro, Kentucky. When done correctly, the noose killed by severing the spinal column, causing near instantaneous death.

    A large crowd watches as attendants adjust a black hood over Rainey Bethea in 1936.
    AP File Photo

    But, all too often, hanging resulted in a slow death by strangulation and sometimes even a beheading. Given this gruesome record and hanging’s association with the lynching of mainly Black men, by the end of the 19th century the search for other execution methods began in earnest.

    The first of those alternatives was the electric chair. At the time it was adopted, it was regarded as a truly modern instrument of death, a technological marvel in the business of state killing. Hailed by penal reformers as a humane alternative to hanging, the electric chair was first authorized in 1888 by New York state following the report of a commission that concluded: “The most potent agent known for the destruction of human life is electricity. … The velocity of the electric current is so great that the brain is paralyzed; it is indeed dead before the nerves can communicate a sense of shock.”

    Yet, right from the start, electrocution’s potency was a problem. Its first use in the 1890 execution of convicted murderer William Kemmler was horribly botched. Reports of the execution say that “after 2 minutes the execution chamber filled with the smell of burning flesh.” Newspapers called the execution a “historic bungle” and “disgusting, sickening and inhuman.”

    In spite of the Kemmler debacle, the electric chair quickly became popular, being seen as more efficient and less brutal than hanging. From the start of the 20th century until the 1980s, the number of death sentences carried out by this method far outstripped those of any other method.

    But electrocutions continued to go wrong, and eventually several dramatic botched executions in Florida helped turn the tide. Included were two executions – one in 1990, the other in 1997 – in which the condemned inmates caught fire.

    The gas chamber

    By the start of the 21st century, states all over the country were abandoning the electric chair. As Justice Carol W. Hunstein of the Supreme Court of Georgia explained, “Death by electrocution, with its specter of excruciating pain and its certainty of cooked brains and blistered bodies,” was no longer compatible with contemporary standards of decency.

    A gas chamber at San Quentin prison from 1959.
    AP Photo/Clarence Hamm

    One alternative to electrocution was the gas chamber, but it too has its own history of problems. First adopted in Nevada in 1922, executions using lethal gas were to take place while the condemned slept. Death row inmates were supposed to be housed in airtight, leak-proof prison cells, separate from other prisoners. On the day of the execution, valves would be opened that would fill the chamber with gas, killing the prisoner painlessly.

    This plan was soon abandoned because officials decided it would be impractical to implement it, and states constructed special gas chambers fitted with pipes, exhaust fans and glass windows on the front and back walls for witness viewing. But deaths by lethal gas were never pretty or easy to watch.

    Inmates regularly fought against breathing the gas as it entered the chamber. They convulsed, jerked, coughed, twisted and turned blue for several minutes before they died.

    Far from solving the problems associated with hangings or electrocutions, lethal gas introduced its own set of horrors to the institution of capital punishment. In fact, by the end of the 20th century, 5% of executions by lethal gas had been botched.

    As a result, states used gas as the sole method of execution only from 1924 to 1977, and it was last used in 1999. By then, the gas chamber had become a relic of the past because of its inability to deliver on its promise to be “swift and painless” and its association with the Nazi use of gas to kill millions during the Holocaust.

    Lethal injection

    Lethal injection was first considered by the state of New York in the late 1880s when it convened a blue ribbon commission to study alternatives to hanging. During deliberations, Dr. Julius Mount Bleyer invited the commission to envision a future in which a person condemned to death “could be executed on his bed in his cell with a 6-gram injection of sulfate of morphine.”

    But it wasn’t until 1977 that Oklahoma became the first state to introduce the method.

    Right from the start, administering lethal injections proved to be a complex procedure that was difficult to get right. In fact, during the first use of lethal injection by Texas in 1982, the team responsible repeatedly failed to insert an IV into a vein in the condemned man’s arm, splattering blood onto the sheet covering his body.

    Part of the problem is that medical ethics do not allow doctors to take part in choosing the drugs or administering them. In the place of doctors, prison officials are responsible for the lethal injection procedure. In addition, dosages of the drugs used are standardized rather than tailored to the needs of particular inmates as they would be in a medical procedure.

    Despite the effort to medicalize executions, the history of lethal injection has been anything but smooth, sterile and predictable. In fact, my research reveals that of the 1,054 executions carried out from 1982 to 2010 using the standard three-drug lethal injection protocol, more than 7% were botched.

    And as states, faced with a scarcity of the drugs needed, have experimented in finding new ingredients, my research shows that botched executions have occurred as much as 20% of the time.

    The firing squad

    Finally, the firing squad. Of all of America’s methods of execution, it has been least often used. From 1900 to 2010, only 35 of America’s 8,776 executions were carried out using this method, and since 1976 just three people have faced a firing squad, with the last one carried out in Utah in 2010.

    The execution chamber at Utah State Prison used in the United States’ last firing squad execution.
    AP Photo/Trent Nelson

    Critics point out that because death by guns evokes images of raw, frontier justice in a society awash in gun violence, this method mimicked something that the law wished to discourage. Nonetheless, Utah revived the firing squad in 2015 due to challenges to the state’s lethal injection protocol.

    While it has some contemporary proponents who claim it is the least cruel of all execution methods, the history of the firing squad is marked by gruesome mistakes when marksmen missed their target. In the 1951 execution of Eliseo Mares, for example, four executioners all shot into the wrong side of his chest, and he died slowly from blood loss.

    A cruel history, revived

    While authorities in South Carolina allow for death by firing squad, it cannot erase the cruelty that marks the method’s history – nor that of other means of execution.

    That history stands as a reminder of America’s failed quest to find a method of execution that is safe, reliable and humane.

    This article contains sections previous published in The Conversation articles from Dec. 4, 2020 and Nov. 30, 2022.

    Austin Sarat does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Death by firing squad set to resume in the US – but no matter the method, all means of execution come with a troubling history – https://theconversation.com/death-by-firing-squad-set-to-resume-in-the-us-but-no-matter-the-method-all-means-of-execution-come-with-a-troubling-history-251579

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Staffordshire woman prosecuted for not removing illegal waste

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Staffordshire woman prosecuted for not removing illegal waste

    The Environment Agency has successfully prosecuted a 43-year-old Staffordshire woman for failing to remove illegal waste from land in Lichfield, Staffordshire.

    A pile of waste at the site.

    • Calls from members of public prompts Environment Agency investigation
    • Hundreds of tonnes of waste stored on rented land in Lichfield
    • Case heard at Cannock Magistrates Court on Tuesday 4 March 2025

    At Cannock Magistrates Court on 4 March 2025, Lissa Appleby, of Nankirks Lane, Anslow, near Burton-upon-Trent, pleaded guilty to a single offence and was fined £550. She was also ordered to pay a victim’s surcharge of £220.

    The court was told that officers from the Environment Agency visited the address she was renting at Mill Farm, Cappers Lane, Whittington, Lichfield on October 13, 2023. The visit came following calls from members of the public regarding waste issues. The address consisted of a domestic property, large grounds and a barn.

    Inside the barn several hundred tonnes of dry shredded waste was discovered, containing plastic sheeting, plastic textiles, metals, wood and cardboard.

    Following a period of rainfall, the defendant was initially requested to move the waste from outside to inside the barn area as a temporary measure. This was to stop further leachate contamination.

    She was also given guidance that an environmental permit would be required for the activities carried out or for the waste to be removed by a person who held the correct waste carriers’ licence.

    The Environment Agency issued a letter to immediately cease activities at the property, believing she was operating an illegal waste site.

    Officers visited the site again on 26 October 2023 and found that the waste remained. Some had been put inside the barn, although there was still a large pile outside.

    The defendant said she could not afford to clear the site.

    Officers served a notice on the defendant, instructing her to remove all the waste on site by 3 January 2024.

    However, a further site visit on 10 January 2024 found the waste remained.

    On 31 January 2024, the defendant vacated the property, informing the letting agents she would clear all the waste within a two-week period.

    But on 29 February 2024, another visit by the Environment Agency confirmed that all the original waste remained on site. Plus additional waste had been deposited within the barn.

    A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said:

    This site posed a significant environmental threat due to the high risk of fire and potential impact to local communities and amenities. 

    As a regulator, the Environment Agency will not hesitate to pursue people that fail to meet their obligations. 

    Failure to comply with these legal requirements is a serious offence that can damage the environment, harm human health and undermine local legitimate waste companies.  

    If anyone is suspicious of waste activities they should call our 24/7 hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or Crimestoppers anonymously and in confidence on 0800 555 111.

    Background

    Lissa Appleby, on 4 January 2024, being the occupier of land, namely Mill Farm, Cappers Lane, Whittington, Lichfield, WS14 9JW, failed without reasonable excuse to comply with a notice dated 13th November 2023 to remove controlled waste from the land contrary to section 59ZB(2) and 59ZB(6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

    Updates to this page

    Published 6 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Join Us on 3/27 for a Foreign and Comparative Law Webinar: Climate-Induced Migration: Responses in the Pacific

    Source: US Global Legal Monitor

    Join us on Thursday, March 27, 2025, at 9 a.m. EDT for our next foreign, comparative, and international law webinar, “Climate-Induced Migration: Responses in the Pacific.”

    Pacific Island nations have sought to increase global awareness of the impacts of climate change in the region and have pushed for greater mitigation of emissions and financing mechanisms to assist countries in adapting to rising sea levels and ocean acidification and to enhance resilience to extreme weather events. They have also highlighted the issue of climate-induced mobility, including displacement, planned relocation, and migration, and the need for this to be considered in discussions and policies at the international level.

    Media stories have referred to low-lying islands in the Pacific as “sinking,” with the rising sea level being an “existential threat” to some countries and creating “climate refugees.” Commentators pose questions about what might happen, including under international law, if a country were to “disappear” – what happens concerning sovereignty, territorial rights, and the citizenship rights of the people? Where would the population move to and what support would be provided to do so? What status would they have in a different country or countries? How would cultures and languages be maintained?

    In our March foreign, comparative, and international law webinar, we will look at some of the responses to the climate-induced migration issue in the Pacific. In particular, in 2023, Pacific Island leaders endorsed the Pacific Regional Framework on Climate Mobility, which “recognizes the urgent need to strengthen understanding, coordination and cooperation on climate change-related human mobility; to establish adequate human rights-based response and support mechanisms for people at risk; and to adopt a pro-active and planned approach to address climate mobility and enhance Pacific resilience and well-being.” In addition, the webinar will highlight the November 2023 agreement between Australia and Tuvalu, known as the Falepili Union, which includes an undertaking from Australia to create a “special mobility pathway” for Tuvaluans, with a focus on “mobility with dignity.”

    Please register here.

    The webinar will be presented by Kelly Buchanan, the Law Library’s foreign law specialist for the Pacific region. Kelly holds an LL.B. (Hons) and bachelor of arts degrees from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand.

    Subscribe to In Custodia Legis – it’s free! – to receive interesting posts drawn from the Law Library of Congress’s vast collections and our staff’s expertise in U.S., foreign, and international law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: I am Navy Medicine: Mr. Edward Sorzano, Cherry Point Clinic Plank Owner Retires

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    A civilian staff member who “owns” a plank of Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point will soon retire after more than two decades of service aboard the facility.

    Mr. Edward Sorzano retired in late February 2025, ending his civilian career as Department Head for the clinic’s Radiology team. He served at the clinic during its first year of operation in 2007 and was given the honor of “Plank Owner” that year.

    A “plank owner,” according to Naval History and Heritage Command, is “an individual who was a member of the crew of a ship [or a facility, in this case] when that ship was placed into commission.”

    Sorzano retired in February 2005 from active duty military service in the U.S. Navy while serving aboard the clinic and transitioned into a General Schedule civilian role.

    During his time at the clinic, he helped train more than 100 Radiology students from Carteret Community College while increasing the department’s radiology capabilities to include Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Computed Tomography.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: President Meloni meets with Unione delle Camere Penali Italiane

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    A meeting was held at Palazzo Chigi this morning between the Government and representatives from the National Union of Italian Criminal Bar Associations (‘Unione delle Camere Penali Italiane’, ‘UCPI’), chaired by the President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni. The meeting was also attended by Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers Alfredo Mantovano, Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio, UCPI President Francesco Petrelli, UCPI Secretary Rinaldo Romanelli and, via video link, Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani.

    President Meloni expressed her gratitude to the lawyers for the great work they do every day to support justice and outlined the main characteristics of the constitutional reform in the process of being examined by Parliament, the aim of which is the separation of careers between judges and public prosecutors in order to ensure equality of arms between prosecution and defence.

    Minister Nordio and Undersecretary of State Mantovano also talked about the measures that have already been adopted and the actions taken by the Government to bring an end to prison overcrowding, which remains one of the Government’s goals.

    The Government will meet with Italian Criminal Bar Associations again in the future, in order to maintain a stable forum for discussion aimed at modernising the administration of justice.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Statement: Attorney General Mark Temple KC responds to JEP headline story on legal spend06 March 2025 ​​​The JEP’s recent reporting on the Law Officers’ Department is inaccurate, misleading and actively undermines the LOD staff who work so hard to enforce law and order and keep our Island safe. It is disappointing… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    06 March 2025

    ​​​The JEP’s recent reporting on the Law Officers’ Department is inaccurate, misleading and actively undermines the LOD staff who work so hard to enforce law and order and keep our Island safe. It is disappointing that the JEP published a Weekend Essay, the Headline to the JEP Weekend Edition (Law officers’ ‘obscene’ £1.6 million spending revealed’) and the Editor’s Column on Saturday 1 March 2025, all without first obtaining comment from the Law Officers’ Department (LOD).

    The headline figure of £1.6 million from October 2023 to September 2024 represents all the LOD’s external legal spend in a particularly demanding year.  This includes the unprecedented large investigations relating to the gas explosion at Haut du Mont and the sinking of the L’Ecume II fishing vessel, specialist Civil cases, Safeguarding cases, Mutual Legal Assistance cases, external Crown Advocates in local Jersey law firms, and major international financial crime cases which are vital to safeguarding the Island’s reputation as a financial centre.

    The time period also coincides with a huge increase in the numbers of Royal Court trials, particularly for offences involving Violence Against Women and Girls.  The LOD is improving prosecution and conviction rates for such offences but needs input from external lawyers specialising in such cases to achieve this.

    ​The vast majority of the LOD’s cases are advised on by LOD lawyers and staff without any instruction of external lawyers.  It is only in exceptional cases where there is a particular need for additional support or training that an external lawyer is also instructed. They do not write scripts for LOD Advocates to read but, where they are instructed, they may comment on drafts produced by LOD Advocates. 

    The JEP articles omit any mention of the fact that monies spent on external lawyers can be recovered from the opposing side in litigation or from the defendant in criminal cases, through confiscation or forfeiture orders, or through costs orders.  The LOD has recovered many millions which have been paid into the Criminal Offences Confiscation Fund or the Civil Asset Recovery Fund where they can be used for the projects for the benefit of the Island.  For example, the first major confiscation under the 2018 Forfeiture of Assets (Civil Proceedings) Law resulted in US$10 million paid into the COCF in 2019, and in 2020 the Doraville case resulted in US$5 million being retained for the Island.

    It is also wrong to suggest that there is no scrutiny of spending on external lawyers.  All spending is in accordance with the procedures set out in the Public Finances Manual.  Discounted rates are obtained for the work, the work is spread between providers to ensure competitive prices, the quality of the work is monitored.  The Department is subject to audit by the C&AG. 

    The LOD has also been subject to an annual on-site inspection by Lexcel since 2019, which is an independent quality assurance standard and to independent oversight by an Audit Committee set up in accordance with a recommendation from the C&AG.  The most recent Lexcel inspection report stated:  “It is clear to the assessor that the Lexcel standard remains fully embedded in practice and the standard runs through the heart of every aspect of the department’s functions resulting in a well-managed, cohesive and risk averse department.”

    The LOD does not have a Press Officer and was contacted by the JEP with a series of questions via the General Enquiries email box less than three hours before a deadline on a day when the Practice Director was away from the office.  We replied that we were unable to respond within the tight deadline but would reply the next week when the Practice Director returned to the office.  In view of the inaccuracies summarised above it is regrettable that the JEP chose to publish without waiting for any comment or input from the LOD.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Deer Lake — Deer Lake RCMP investigates fraud at Shears Building Supplies in Deer Lake, seeks public’s assistance locating building materials

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Deer Lake RCMP is investigating a fraud that occurred at Shears Building Supplies in Deer Lake. Various building materials, including bundles of shingles, siding and siding accessories, were fraudulently obtained.

    On February 26, 2025, police received the report from the business identifying a fraud that had occurred in November of 2024. On November 25, three males attended the building supply store and fraudulently obtained various building supplies. They departed in a white GMC truck with a utility trailer in tow. An image is attached.

    The materials, valued at nearly $15,000.00, included:

    • Bundles of IKO Marathon Plus Dual black shingles
    • Bundles of KAYCAN siding – colors Cabot red and Boulder grey

    Images of the materials are attached.

    Police believe the supplies may have been sold by those who obtained them and are looking to identify and speak with those who may have purchased these products. The investigation is continuing.

    Anyone who suspects they may have purchased these specific items or anyone who has any information about this crime, including the identity of the individuals in the pickup truck, are asked to contact Deer Lake RCMP at 709-635-2173. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers: #SayItHere 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: President Meloni meets with Associazione nazionale magistrati

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, chaired a meeting between the Government and the National Association of Magistrates (‘Associazione Nazionale Magistrati’, ‘ANM’) at Palazzo Chigi this afternoon.
    The Vice-Presidents of the Council of Ministers, Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini, the Minister of Justice, Carlo Nordio, and Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers Alfredo Mantovano were also present.

    The frank and productive meeting focused on the constitutional reform regarding the separation of careers between judges and public prosecutors and the ‘CSM’ [‘High Council of the Judiciary’], which is being examined by Parliament.

    President Meloni thanked the ANM for the observations and points raised during the discussion, and expressed her readiness to begin a process of dialogue on the reform’s ordinary implementing laws and the eight-point document presented by the ANM regarding the administration of justice.

    The Government reiterated its determination to continue rapidly along the path to implement the constitutional reform, hoping for its swift approval.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Promoting Healthcare Excellence with Evidence Based Practice at NHB

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    The commitment to enhance medical readiness was visually evident recently at Naval Hospital Bremerton.

    U.S. Navy and U.S. Army Nurse Corps officers, along with hospital corpsmen assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness Training Command Bremerton, honed their evidence based practice skills at a TriService Nursing Research Program Evidence Based Practice training class.

    “This is a big deal for nurses because two instructors came from out of town to teach this class which takes us through all the steps of EBP to come out and be ready to do a EBP project,” said Lt. Cmdr. Maggy Mitzkewich, NMRTC Bremerton Specialty Care department.

    The training class, in conjunction with the Uniformed Services University, was held to refine attendees’ knowledge on the values of evidence based practice designed to help military nurses care for warfighters on the field of battle as well as retirees and dependents at a military treatment facility.

    “Most nurses at Naval Hospital Bremerton work in a clinic environment, but we need to be ready to deploy in our primary subspecialty,” explained Mitzkewich. “Using evidence based practice, we can target the best training methods to keep our skills up to date using proven ideas such as skills fairs or virtual reality.”

    Nurse Corps officers stationed at NHB, as well as other military treatment facilities, routinely are tasked for operational missions. NHB has recently deployed nurses to augment Navy fleet forces, support multiple Navy and Marine Corps locales across the Indo-Pacific theater, and assist U.S. Naval Forces Central Command needs and more.

    The Tri-Service Nursing Research Program training class curriculum, under the auspices of organizers Laurie Migliore and Ellen Kroll, followed what is known as the Iowa Model, a practical process which provides a structured outline for conducting principles of evidence-based practice.

    “The process uses a format based on the five stage formula of problem/population, intervention, comparison, outcome, and time,” said Mitzkewich, noting that a nurse can use evidence base practice knowledge to help improve quality healthcare and patient safety programs.

    “As nurses, we use evidence based practice by integrating research, clinical expertise, and patient preference to make informed decisions about care,” continued Mitzkewich. “It is something we learn about in nursing school and continue to use and develop throughout our daily practice and careers. It is a tool that helps ensure we are keeping our patients safe and helping them reach their healthcare goals.”

    According to Mitzkewich, examples of evidence based practice initiatives are NHB nurses updating the command’s patient falls policy and medication administration policy to ensure all staff members are adequately trained on both and that the hospital is using the most effective protocols to ensure patient safety.

    Two of the EBP initiatives the class participants worked on were, ‘Implementing an effective medication administration training and competency for nurses and corpsmen’ and ‘Using evidence to create an effective outpatient falls protocol.’

    Both initiatives are important in any healthcare locale.

    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, patient falls in a hospital setting, especially amongst elder beneficiaries, are a constant risk. The National Institute of Health also affirms that medication administration errors, such as wrong patient, wrong dose, wrong prescription, are all dispensing issues which are preventable.

    Mitzkewich attests that being able to implement evidence based practices to improve healthcare delivery is a gratifying experience for nurses, as well as their patients.

    “It is rewarding because the initiative that come from this class will affect real change in patient safety and knowledge, skills and abilities at our command,” stated Mitzkewich.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NMRTC Twentynine Palms Sailors sharpen skills and build camaraderie at shooting event

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    Sailors from Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Twentynine Palms gathered for a team building, morale, and marksmanship event on Feb. 26, 2025, reinforcing weapons proficiency and strengthening unit cohesion. The event provided Sailors across various rates with the opportunity to practice shooting, many of whom do not regularly handle firearms in their daily military duties.

    “The shooting event was great for team building and served as an opportunity to exercise our lethal warfighting capabilities,” said Religious Program Specialist 3rd Class Diego Escalante from San Diego, Calif.

    Participants used the event to emphasize the importance of basic firearms knowledge and safety for all service members, regardless of their occupational specialties.

    “Being in the military, I feel all rates should have at least some familiarity with basic firearms and firearms safety, which this event allowed us to cover,” said Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Samuel Schoep, from Hudson, New York. “Shooting is a requirement for my rate, so being able to get out onto the range helps keep my required skills fresh.”

    The event was especially beneficial for Sailors in roles where firearms proficiency can make up a component of their rate’s responsibilities.

    “As an RP (Religious Program Specialist), we are expected to be skilled with firearms due to chaplains not being able to fire or carry. We serve as their protection and point man.” Escalante said. “In this unit, my mission changes within the dynamic of a hospital environment, so I don’t use firearms regularly. However, that won’t always be the case at future duty stations.”

    “For my rate I must qualify for Marksman annually on the Navy Handgun Qualification Course, so having the opportunity helped me brush up on my shooting,” added Master-at-Arms Seaman Apprentice Thuan Nguyen from Bradenton, Florida.

    For a hospital corpsman, shooting proficiency can be critical in operational environments where they may be required to provide medical aid in combat situations. Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (SW) Logan Wilkerson, from Columbus, Georgia, highlighted why corpsmen need to be capable of being armed in the line of duty.

    “For the general population, the thought of medical personnel using a weapon is generally unheard of,” Wilkerson said. “However, in the military, a Hospital Corpsman providing life-saving measures in a combative environment is very likely. When caring for an injured service member, we (corpsmen) can turn to the Hospital Corpsman Pledge — specifically, ‘I will not knowingly permit harm to come to any patient.’ To me, this means defending my patient.”

    Wilkerson explained the historic importance of firearms use for corpsmen by referencing the heroic actions of Hospital Apprentice 1st Class Robert E. Bush, the namesake of the hospital where he serves, who received the Medal of Honor for his valor in the Battle of Okinawa.

    “With the (plasma) bottle held high in one hand, Bush drew his pistol with the other and fired into the enemy ranks until his ammunition was expended,” Wilkerson recounted. “History has proven that familiarity and practice with putting rounds down range can mean the difference between life and death for a corpsman’s patient. After all, a common saying from corpsmen is that one of the best forms of medicine is rounds down range.”

    The event also served as a platform for fostering camaraderie among service members beyond their typical work environments. Lt. Jason Wang, Operations Management Department Head and Healthcare Administrator from Sylmar, Calif., shared that one of the reasons he set up the event was to offer a unique way for colleagues to bond.

    “There are a lot of private gun owners or individuals — both civilian and active duty — who know how to shoot and safely handle a gun,” Wang said. “Bringing together individuals who enjoy and share this hobby allows co-workers to relate to each other in ways beyond just their job functions.”

    Twentynine Palms provides unique opportunities for shooting practice due to its desert environment and access to range facilities on base. While some service members expressed that shooting ranges are available at most duty stations, the terrain in Twentynine Palms offers a distinctive experience and more access to opportunities.

    “The major difference from other duty stations is the terrain,” Wilkerson said. “Out here in the desert, with the mountains and rocks as backdrops, it doesn’t take much imagination to put yourself in a different time and place.”

    “The environment allows more opportunities to shoot in the desert and on base than other larger metropolitan bases. Additionally, the base here is more relationship and network-based which creates opportunities in comparison to larger bases where it is easy to get lost on who is who in the zoo,” added Wang.

    Sailors expressed a desire for more frequent opportunities to refine their weapons-handling skills, recognizing the value in staying proficient even if their current assignments do not require regular firearms use.

    “The concept of firearms can be foreign to many and basic bootcamp isn’t remotely enough to gain comfortability and skill. Different rates and units come with different priorities,” Escalante explained. “In a place like a naval hospital, even though our corpsmen often serve a different mission here, at least one to two refresher courses per year would only benefit us as service members.”

    The event underscored NMRTC Twentynine Palms’ commitment to bolstering operational readiness, morale, and unit cohesion.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sailors and Marines Ready Their Casualty Response Skills aboard USS America (LHA 6)

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    Sailors and Marines aboard the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) train to respond to casualties of all grades, in war and peace. USS America’s medical department integrates and serves Sailors and Marines alike. As part of a joint effort, the Sailors of the ship and those assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU) participate in medical drills to ready their proficiency in trauma care.

    “The integration of green and blue side corpsmen is very different, but I like it because you see how everybody’s roles come together,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Jalen King, assigned to the 31st MEU. “We’re going through our fundamentals with one end goal. To get our patient to the next higher echelon of care.”

    One aspect of medical readiness is training for mass casualty treatment. Integrated drills serve as a vital training for both blue and green side corpsman. Mass casualty drills are a simulated scenarios that test the capabilities of the integrated Navy and Marine Corps medical team aboard USS America, preparing the providers to treat a strenuous number of inbound casualties. A large influx of patients all at once tests, refines and enhances their current medical capabilities while improving the corpsmen’s abilities to triage a variety of wounded warriors from the battlefield.

    “The purpose of the mass casualty drill is always to test your skills. You have to do this to refresh your muscle memory and skills because medicine is always changing,” said Chief Hospital Corpsman Benjamin Guinto, assigned to the 31st MEU. “You need to up to date on the latest instructions, the best way of treating a patient, and all possible medical interventions.”

    It is very important that the blue and green side corpsman go through practice drills to create cohesion and efficiency amongst all those involved. Joint training allows for the sharpening of the basic and advanced skills of new members supporting the medical mission, as there is a constant flow of personnel arriving to the ship with each patrol—each with knowledge to be gained and given.

    “It is a growing and a learning process, but it is definitely getting better,” said Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Dyanna Keiji, assigned to USS America. “I get more confident in our ability to work together as a team if we ever had to actually deal with an actual emergency or influx of mass casualties.”

    Each side has a different set of skills, such as field medicine with green side corpsmen and bedside medicine for the blue side corpsmen. It takes time to understand each respective branch’s equipment and techniques. There come some learning curves for the green side corpsman as most are not used to practicing critical care aboard a ship.

    “Working with the blue side corpsman during the mass casualty drills has been going pretty well. Having not been on a ship before, I am learning where things are and the process on how they do these drills,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Jomari Cruz, assigned to the 31st MEU. “I am learning a lot from them and it is uplifting.”

    Despite being more familiar with the ship and the equipment aboard there are difficulties as well for blue side corpsman—such as fluid communications with the green side or understanding field medical equipment. Sailors who may have only been a blue side corpsman may come across a certain experience or situation that is more familiar to their green side counterpart, so gaining more insight on how to approach and handle a new situation gives greater awareness and overall familiarity with the unknowns that come with the overall job of being a corpsman.

    “It is pretty empowering working with the green side corpsmen because they bring a different skill set and we have different backgrounds when we are working together,” said Hospital Corpsman Guadalupe Beech, assigned to Fleet Surgical Team Seven (FST 7). “It always feels like a safe environment to ask questions. If there is something that I do not know, there’s a good chance the green side might know.”

    The mass casualty drills help the corpsman train and expect what could come, but it is also informative to the surrounding Sailors who are not directly involved with the drill. The drills display a possible reality at any moment to those who could have a chance to be a helping hand at any given moment.

    “From the people that just watch us do the drills, I think it opens their eyes that this is not just practice, this might happen and makes them think what they will you do when this happens,” said Chief Hospital Corpsman Alexander Naval, assigned to FST 7. “As a bystander, what part can you play if the medical team is busy? From stretcher bearers to directing the traffic or controlling the crowd, we need everyone to not just watch, but help the medical team.”

    No matter the situation, green and blue side corpsmen continue to work together to grow and evolve their skill set prior to coming together for the drills. The medical world is ever growing and corpsmen continue learning new things every day to help those in their time of need, even if they do not know when that may be.

    “The greatest takeaway is that we are learning every day,” said Chief Naval. “For the junior Sailors, this is the biggest learning experience they can get because we are looking at real world scenarios that could happen in the near future, so we are making them ready for any situation. We are here to guide them on what to do and what to expect in case a mass casualty actually happens.”

    On this winter patrol, the corpsmen of the USS America and the 31st MEU have worked together tirelessly to improve, grow together, and above all else, be prepared and ready for any situation. The combined forces of the blue and green medical team have seen the self-improvement amongst each other and within themselves, feeling more ready than ever as they continue to treat the integrated Navy and Marine Corps teams.

    “The integration between the green and blue side has been the best that I have ever seen. I have been in FST 7 since 2022 and I have never seen it this good,” Beech stated, “We communicate daily, we see each other’s patients, and I feel that our morale is good as well.”

    America, lead ship of the America Amphibious Ready Group, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NAVCENT Hosts Mental Health Campaign at NSA Bahrain

    Source: United States Navy (Medical)

    MANAMA, Bahrain— Mental health providers, chaplains, counselors, and support service groups aboard Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain gathered to kick off the 2025 Mental Health Campaign, March 4.

    The five-session campaign, hosted by the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) Religious Ministries Team, features topics including learning the resources, best practices for navigating mental health, building the human connection, creating positive environments, and effective leadership.

    The first session covered learning the resources, allowing participants to connect with counselors from Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) Bahrain, Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Unit (NMRTU) Bahrain mental health professionals, Military and Family Life Counselors (MFLC), and other embedded mental health officers and licensed social workers supporting the installation.

    “The overall goal of the event is to help leadership continue to develop a deliberate mental health strengthening strategy through the information promulgated in alignment with CNO’s [Chief of Naval Operations] Quality of Service initiative, while building collaboration between the Bahrain mental health entities,” said Cmdr. Devon Foster, NAVCENT/ U.S. 5th Fleet deputy chaplain. “There are more than 20 designated caregivers on island consisting of chaplains, MFLCs, LSWs [licensed social workers], psychologists, as well as the professional doctors and nurses at Serene Hospital. This was all about learning the resources from the Navy’s Mental Health Playbook and Roadmap. While our services as providers can overlap, our session shows how each caregiver cares and provides unique amenities within their portfolio.”

    NSA Bahrain’s mental health roadmap outlines key resources available on the installation for personnel seeking support, ranging from connecting with friends, family, and chains of command, to seeking support from providers through outpatient care off-base.

    During the event, Capt. Jorge Brito, NAVCENT/U.S. 5th Fleet force surgeon, discussed the importance of brain health, emphasizing risk factors, and ways to promote healthy brain function. The presentation included an interactive activity which allowed participants the opportunity to brainstorm ways they thought individuals could improve brain health through implementing or abstaining from certain factors. The exercise validated some beliefs, and challenged common misconceptions about brain health.

    The Mental Health Campaign will continue with Session 2, covering best practices for navigating mental health.

    “By understanding these services each person can seek assistance from one or more of these professional to meet their needs,” said Foster. “If the help can best be served through another provider, the person will be referred to whomever can give them the care they need.”

    NSA Bahrain’s mission is to support U.S. and coalition maritime operations throughout the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations by providing security for ships, aircraft and tenants on board NSA Bahrain and assigned detachments. NSA Bahrain provides efficient and effective shore services to sustain the fleet, enable the fighter and support the family with honor, courage and commitment.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: CENTCOM Conducts Bomber Task Force Mission

    Source: United States Central Command (CENTCOM)

    Mar. 6, 2025
    Release Number 20250306-01
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    TAMPA, Fla. – On March 4, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted a Bomber Task Force Mission in the Middle East, strengthening partner interoperability and demonstrating force projection capabilities in the region. It was the third BTF mission in two weeks. A B-52H Stratofortress from RAF Fairford, UK, flew across Europe and into the CENTCOM area of responsibility during their mission, which included aerial refueling and training opportunities with partner nations.

    -30-

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Regula Increases Its Global User Base by 52% Amid Rising Identity Verification Demands

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RESTON, Va., March 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Regula, a global developer of forensic devices and identity verification (IDV) solutions, is now providing advanced IDV software technologies to 152 million online users worldwide. This new milestone marks an impressive growth of 52% compared to the previous year. Among the main drivers of wider IDV adoption, Regula points out the rising need for advanced anti-fraud solutions, regulatory shifts, and digital transformation initiatives.

    Countries with the most notable Regula’s client base increase, as up to the beginning of 2025

    The increasing adoption of Regula’s document and biometric verification solutions highlights a growing demand for secure and user-friendly IDV workflows in key sectors, including finance, e-commerce, government services, travel, and more. This strong year-to-year growth demonstrates that businesses are proactively adapting to the rapidly changing ID verification landscape with Regula’s complete IDV solution, which includes document authenticity checks, biometric verification, liveness detection, and deepfake prevention.

    Regional highlights

    From stricter KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) regulations in North America and Europe to erupting digital identity initiatives in Asia to booming fintech services in Latin America and the Middle East, identity verification is becoming an essential part of digital interactions. Here’s how different markets are driving Regula’s IDV adoption growth.

    North America

    • Key drivers: Rising fraud incidents and threats (according to Regula’s survey,* 96% of US businesses faced identity fraud in 2024) plus regulatory pressure.
    • Country highlight: The US (+55%) – Increased adoption of AI-driven fraud prevention and stronger authentication in financial services and e-commerce.

    Europe

    • Key drivers: Stricter regulations (GDPR, AMLD), the European Digital Identity Wallet initiative, and fintech expansion.
    • Country highlights:
      • The UK (+122%) – Post-Brexit compliance shifts and growth in digital banking.
      • Germany (+123%) – Strong data privacy laws and high demand for authenticity checks in digital scenarios.

    META (Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa)

    • Key drivers: Digital government initiatives, fintech growth, and a push for AI-driven security.
    • Country highlight: The UAE (+112%) – Rapid adoption of digital identity verification solutions due to its ambitions to become a leader in AI, fintech, and smart city innovations.

    APAC (Asia Pacific)

    • Key drivers: Booming digital payments, financial inclusion efforts, and strong government support for digital identity solutions.
    • Country highlights:
      • Singapore (+102%) – A financial hub with widespread digital banking and government-backed digital ID systems like Singpass.
      • Australia (+188%) – AML regulations and age verification initiatives.

    Latin America

    • Key drivers: Explosive fintech growth, mobile banking expansion, and high fraud rates requiring stronger ID verification techniques.
    • Country highlights:
      • Mexico (+156%) – Rapid adoption of digital payments and financial services.
      • Colombia (+241%) – The fastest-growing market, driven by fintech expansion and government-led digital ID initiatives.

    “The growth across these markets is a direct response to regulatory developments, digital transformation efforts, and the increasing sophistication of fraud – all the factors that make identity verification paramount. As businesses and governments worldwide accelerate their adoption of digital solutions, they face the complex challenge of ensuring security and compliance while maintaining a low-effort user experience. Additionally, the ever-rising cyber and identity fraud threats have made advanced IDV not just a regulatory requirement but a fundamental business necessity. By leveraging our decades-long expertise in forensic level document and biometric verification, we deliver comprehensive, future-proof solutions and help our customers build secure and user-friendly IDV workflows,” says Henry Patishman, Executive VP of Identity Verification Solutions at Regula.

    No compromise on security, efficiency, or compliance

    To help businesses and government institutions fight identity fraud effectively, Regula offers a complete IDV solution, comprising Regula Document Reader SDK and Regula Face SDK. This on-premise software performs extensive document and biometric authenticity checks, enables data cross-validation to spot discrepancies that might indicate fraud, and ensures sensitive personal data privacy.

    With more than 14,800 identity document templates from 251 countries and territories, Regula provides businesses with the industry’s most comprehensive ID template database. This asset allows for accurate identity verification regardless of the provided document, which is especially important for financial institutions, travel companies, and global businesses.

    Regula’s ID verification software is fully compatible with most third-party document readers, allowing organizations to adopt advanced offline ID verification without investing in new hardware.

    Also, Regula’s IDV technologies are inherently future-ready, supporting emerging standards such as ISO/IEC 39794-5 for biometric passport verification and Digital Travel Credentials (DTCs) aimed at streamlining travel and border crossing.

    Regula’s hardware and software solutions are trusted by more than 1,000 organizations all over the world. Among them:

    • UBS, the world’s largest private bank, has implemented a robust customer onboarding system powered by Regula’s comprehensive ID verification technologies.
    • Checkport, a Swiss aviation security provider, utilizes Regula’s identity verification solutions to enhance passenger screening and security protocols.
    • Pearson VUE, a global leader in online testing, relies on Regula to authenticate candidate identities for high-stakes remote exams.

    To learn more about Regula’s technologies and offerings, please visit Regula’s website.

    *The research was initiated by Regula and conducted by Sapio Research in August 2024 using an online survey of 575 business decision-makers across the Financial Services (including Traditional Banking and Fintech), Crypto, Technology, Telecommunications, Aviation, Healthcare, and Law Enforcement sectors. The respondent geography included Germany, Mexico, the UAE, the US, and Singapore. Find more insights on deepfake fraud in the survey report.

    About Regula

    Regula is a global developer of forensic devices and identity verification solutions. With our 30+ years of experience in forensic research and the most comprehensive library of document templates in the world, we create breakthrough technologies for document and biometric verification. Our hardware and software solutions allow over 1,000 organizations and 80 border control authorities globally to provide top-notch client service without compromising safety, security, or speed. Regula has been repeatedly named a Representative Vendor in the Gartner® Market Guide for Identity Verification.

    Learn more at www.regulaforensics.com.

    Contact:
    Kristina – ks@regulaforensics.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/47df2109-e416-4f49-a77f-7a950ba1d8c1

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Successful International Women’s Day event took place at Coventry Job Shop

    Source: City of Coventry

    An exclusive event for female customers was held at Coventry Job Shop on Wednesday 5 March which welcomed over 200 women.

    As part of International Women’s Day celebrations, the event focused on highlighting women’s roles in industries traditionally over-represented by men.

    Current figures that show that 84% of men dominate the construction industry, 81% in the logistics sector and approximately 83% in Digital Software Engineering roles.

    The event showcased established female leaders in fields such as construction, the armed services, logistics and digital. It aimed to create a platform for successful females to motivate Coventry residents to explore new and promising sectors.

    Notable employers included: Hill Group, Balfour Beatty Vinci, West Midlands Police, Mclaughlin and Harvey, Octavius, West Midlands Fire, Prune Software and Tarmac. Speakers from these organisations showcased their personal journeys and spoke about their incredible achievements throughout their careers.

    Additionally, Coventry Adult Education, Coventry College, NIS Group, RMF and Challenge TRG-Skills were on hand to offer valuable advice on relevant training programs and educational opportunities.

    Councillor Dr Kindy Sandhu, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills said: “The ‘I Can’ exclusive event for females was an important and momentous way to mark International Women’s Day. I heard some really powerful stories on the day from some wonderful women who are looking to start new careers. I also heard from some employers about all the brilliant things they have achieved so far, which was really inspiring for everyone there.

    “We are really serious about supporting women into careers that have good jobs, offer good pay, good terms and conditions and in careers where they feel they can belong and thrive. Thanks to this event, local women are now equipped with the right advice, support, information and most of all confidence to go and try something new and exciting. I wish them all the best of luck on their future pathways.”

    Attendees had the opportunity to participate in a dynamic jobs fair, where they were able to apply for live vacancies and engage with skills providers to talk about the necessary qualifications needed for these exciting career paths.

    Sam Wraith, Stakeholder and Social Value Manager at Octavius said: “It was such a pleasure to be a part of the ‘I Can’ event held at The Job Shop. It was a privilege to speak in such a fantastic facility full to the brim with inspirational speakers and listeners.

    “We all had different back stories, are on different journeys and facing different challenges. The Job Shop bought us all together to unite us as one to share our experiences and be part of IWD 2025. It was a great turn out for a fabulous event”.

    The event was a great way to celebrate the successes and skills of female Coventry residents. It also inspired employers to work towards having a more diverse group of employees.

    Elysha Coulson, an event attendee said: “The event was very informative and inspiring. I’d really like to attend something similar in the near future”.

    To find out more work and training opportunities, drop into the Job Shop on Smithford Way to speak to one of the Employment Coaches, or contact the Job Shop on: 024 7678 5740 or jobshop@coventry.gov.uk.

    To keep up to date with the latest news, sign up for our Your Coventry email newsletter or follow the Council on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

    For any media enquiries, contact the Communications Team at: communications@coventry.gov.uk or 024 7683 4848.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: CMA clears GBT / CWT corporate travel merger

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    CMA clears GBT / CWT corporate travel merger

    Independent CMA inquiry group has cleared the merger of corporate travel companies Global Business Travel Group, Inc and CWT Holdings LLC.

    iStock

    An independent inquiry group leading the in-depth Phase 2 merger investigation into the merger of corporate travel management companies Global Business Travel Group, Inc (GBT) and CWT Holdings LLC (CWT) has decided it should be allowed to proceed.

    Both companies supply travel agency services to global businesses with high travel spend and employees who travel internationally. 

    The group has concluded that CWT is a significantly weaker competitor than in the past and is likely to continue to weaken in the future and that there are other suppliers who will offer customers an alternative to the merged business.

    The group is therefore satisfied that the merger is not expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition in the global market for the supply of business travel agency services and has cleared the deal.

    Martin Coleman, chair of the independent panel of experts conducting this investigation, said:

    Having reviewed all the evidence thoroughly over the course of our investigation we have concluded, given the weaker position CWT plays in the corporate travel market and the alternatives available, that this deal should be allowed to proceed.

    For more information, visit the Global Business Travel Group, Inc / CWT Holdings, LLC merger inquiry case page.

    Notes to editors

    1. On 10 January 2025 the United States Department of Justice filed a civil antitrust lawsuit seeking to block the merger. The case is currently before the US courts.
    2. New Phase 1 cases opened by the CMA after 25 April 2024 which are referred for an in-depth Phase 2 investigation are run under the new Phase 2 process. This is the first in-depth merger investigation that the CMA has conducted under its revised Phase 2 process.
    3. All media enquiries should be directed to the CMA press office by email on press@cma.gov.uk, or by phone on 020 3738 6460.

    Updates to this page

    Published 6 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The online accounts and company tax return service is closing

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    The online accounts and company tax return service is closing

    The joint online filing service will close on 31 March 2026.

    Companies House and HMRC are closing the joint online filing service on 31 March 2026.

    Companies have used this service to file their accounts and Company Tax Returns at the same time with Companies House and HMRC, but it will close in 12 months’ time.

    From 1 April 2026, companies can file their annual accounts with Companies House using third party software, our web services or paper filing. However, you will need to use software to file your Company Tax Return with HMRC.

    Why the service is closing

    The service is closing because it’s now outdated. It no longer aligns to modern digital standards, enhanced corporation tax requirements or changes to UK company law under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA).

    Closing the service also reinforces the big changes taking place at Companies House, as we implement further measures set out in the ECCTA and introduce new processes such as Identity Verification (IDV).

    What you need to do

    We recommend downloading and saving at least 3 years of accounts filings for your company. You will not be able to access any previous filings on this service after 1 April 2026.

    Start considering your software filing options. You’ll need to find a suitable software provider that can meet your filing needs for both Companies House and HMRC.

    Find out more about what you need to do to prepare for the closure of the online service to file your accounts and Company Tax Return.

    Moving to filing accounts by software only

    In the future, you’ll only be able to file accounts with Companies House using third party software.

    Although there are currently other ways to file accounts with us, most companies can make the change to using software now.

    Filing accounts through software gives you the greatest flexibility to showcase the financial data of your company. It can also give you a variety of functionality to support the running of your business. Many software providers offer a range of accounting packages to help you prepare and file accounts – you can find software for filing company documents.

    This future change supports our goal of enabling a fully digital filing service. It will also help us to meet our organisational priority to prevent economic crime and bring the UK in line with international best practice.  

    We’ll aim to give companies at least 21 months’ notice before this change comes into effect.

    Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date with our services.

    Updates to this page

    Published 6 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Stobox Joins Qatar Financial Center Digital Assets Lab

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Doha, Qatar, March 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Stobox, one of the leading global tokenization platforms, became a member of Qatar Financial Center Lab – the most prestigious and recognized Digital Asset Association in the MENA region. The goal of this partnership is to boost tokenization in the country.

    Qatar is a country where tokens can legally proclaim property rights on real-world assets, which is very promising in terms of tokenization and global economic development. As Stobox works across the world, it will transmit Qatar’s success and experience in tokenization to other countries.

    Qatar and Stobox already have an impressive success story behind tokenizing the largest shrimp farm in the world. Now, they pursue the tokenization of various types of assets within the eyesight. It will secure a significant financial outcome for the Qatar economy, accelerating its GDP growth.

    Qatar pursues the ambition to lead the tokenization across the MENA region. There are a number of reasons behind MENA’s future success in tokenization. The success of tokenization is closely tied to the expansion of its underlying assets, and MENA’s economy is thriving across multiple sectors ripe for tokenization. Real estate, aquaculture, food production, energy, and renewables are all experiencing impressive growth. Tokenization can provide these industries with more liquidity, fractional ownership, and increased global investor participation, further accelerating their expansion.

    “We identify three major pillars driving Real-World Asset tokenization growth in Qatar. First, the country offers a diverse array of valuable assets and business opportunities. Second, there is a well-developed investment and financial ecosystem with substantial capital available for tokenization. Third, regulatory authorities are actively supporting tokenization initiatives, creating a favorable environment for long-term growth. We value Qatar’s Financial Center stance on tokenization and aim to make the country a bedrock for all the future success of tokenization across the world.” – said Ross Shemeliak, COO and Co-Founder of Stobox.

    About Stobox
    Stobox is a licensed and regulated tokenization provider building financial markets for small and medium businesses. Stobox provides an all-in-one solution for tokenizing, investing, and trading RWA and operates in multiple jurisdictions, including the United States. Since its inception in 2018, the company has tokenized over $500M in assets across finance, mining, energy, and real estate. 
    For more information, please visit https://www.stobox.io/

    About Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority (QFCRA)
    The Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority (QFCRA) is an independent regulatory body established in 2005 by Article 8 of the QFC Law. It regulates firms that conduct financial services in or from the QFC. It has a broad range of regulatory powers to authorise, supervise and, when necessary, discipline firms and individuals. The QFC Regulatory Authority regulates firms using principle-based legislation of international standard, modelled closely on that used in major financial centres.
    Further details are available at the https://www.qfcra.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Morocco Purchases AH-64 Apache Helicopters

    Source: United States AFRICOM

    Morocco marked its initial purchase of AH-64E Apache helicopters in a ceremony at Sale Air Base near Rabat, March 5, 2025.

    The sale marks a significant step in improving the capabilities of the Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF) as well as supporting the foreign policy and national security of the United States.

    “By purchasing these Apache helicopters, Morocco has made a significant step in investing in their security and in regional security. This investment now puts them in a new level of warfighting capability,” said Gen. Michael Langley, U.S. Africa Command Commander, who was present at the ceremony.  

    The aircraft arrived in Morocco late last month from the U.S. as part of a Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) initiative announced in 2020. 

    “The United States and Morocco have a long history of partnership reaching back nearly 250 years when Morocco was the first to recognize U.S. independence,” explained U.S. Charge d’Affaires Aimee Cutrona.   “Today, we are witnessing the steady and consistent growth of the longstanding U.S.-Morocco security cooperation that continues to advance our interests in the region and the world.”

    The AH-64E, first developed in 2012, is enhanced from previous models and brings increased capabilities that feature improved digital connectivity, more powerful engines, capability to control unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), full IFR capability, and improved landing gear. It can reach speeds of 150 knots (278 km/hr) with a range of over 450 km. 

    “The Apache helicopter, especially this model, brings advanced weaponry in reconnaissance and attack, enabling the Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF) to better secure their borders to deter and defeat terrorism in the region,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. James Anderson, Chief of the Office of Security Cooperation, Rabat.

    The Utah Army National Guard (UTNG) also maintains a unique partnership with Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces through the Department of Defense’ State Partnership Program (SPP). This involves extensive training and relationship building that has led to deeper ties between the FAR and the Utah National Guard (UNG) at all levels, and it has encouraged even greater overall security cooperation between our two countries.

    “The UTNG flies Apache helicopters and we’re looking forward to taking advantage of more training opportunities together,” said Maj. Jared Sorensen, Bilateral Affairs Officer and the UTNG representative in the Office of Security Cooperation, Rabat, “being able to fly and train together here will sharpen our skills and make us a more lethal force.”

     So far 24 RMAF pilots have received training in the U.S. and are qualified helicopter pilots together with five instructor pilots with three more expected soon. The pilots will undergo specific aircraft type training with the expectation that the entire squadron will be fully operational within the next six months.

    “These aircraft give the Royal Moroccan Air Force a lethal tool that will enable them to further our mutual security goals in the region,” said Langley. “Morocco is a critical partner for us and major non-NATO ally. Their leadership and dedication to furthering security and stability in the region shows daily how valuable this partnership is to both the people of Morocco and the U.S.”

    U.S. Africa Command is one of seven U.S. Department of Defense geographic combatant commands. The command is responsible for all U.S. military operations, exercises, security cooperation, and conducts crisis response on the African continent in order to advance U.S. interests and promote regional security, stability, and prosperity.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: March 2025 update from the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority

    Source: Isle of Man

    The Isle of Man Financial Services Authority has issued its latest update for stakeholders.

    The March 2025 bulletin includes an introduction from CEO Bettina Roth, details about forthcoming events and conferences, and how we are using data to enhance compliance standards.

    We also highlight our future prudential and conduct supervision themes, explain the work taking place to modernise pensions legislation, recap recent changes to the AML/CFT Handbook, and provide a timeline for the Island’s MONEYVAL evaluation.

    The bulletin can be viewed via this link.

    Contents

    • CEO introduction
    • Deadline approaching for Annual AML/CFT Returns
    • Date confirmed for Island’s MONEYVAL evaluation
    • 2025 Countering Financial Crime Conference
    • Enhancing compliance standards through data
    • Prudential and conduct supervision themes
    • Event for designated businesses
    • Making a Difference
    • Your co-operation and support are appreciated
    • Updated version of AML/CFT Handbook published
    • Pensions regulatory update
    • Updated version of Supervisory Methodology Framework
    • Authority raises funds for Alzheimer’s Society IOM
    • In case you missed it

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Global: Electric shock equipment widely abused by law enforcement agencies due to alarming lack of regulation – new report

    Source: Amnesty International –

    40 countries including the UK where cases involving torture and other ill-treatment using electric shock equipment have been documented

    197 companies manufactured or promoted direct contact electric shock equipment for law enforcement – most companies based in China, India and the USA

    Survivors have suffered burns, numbness, miscarriage, urinary dysfunction, insomnia, exhaustion and profound psychological trauma

    Harrowing testimonies of people of electric shock equipment used against people

    ‘They hit my face with the back of a gun, gave electric shocks to my back, and beat me with batons on the bottom of my feet and hands…’ – schoolboy in Iran

    In the UK, Tasers were drawn, aimed or discharged 33,232 times between April 2023 to March 2024

    States and companies are manufacturing, promoting and selling electric shock equipment that is being used for torture and other ill-treatment, said Amnesty International in a new report calling for a global, legally-binding treaty to regulate the unchecked production of and trade in law enforcement equipment.

    The 72-page report – “I Still Can’t Sleep at Night” The Global Abuse of Electric Shock Equipment – draws on research carried out by Amnesty from 2014 to 2024 in over 40 countries including the UK, where cases involving torture and other ill-treatment using electric shock equipment have been documented.

    Law enforcement agencies are using inherently abusive direct contact electric shock weapons – including stun guns and electric shock batons– on the street, at borders, in migrant and refugee detention centres, mental health institutions, police stations, prisons, and other places of detention.

    The devices, which deliver painful shocks at the press of a button, have been used against protesters, students, political opponents, women and girls (including pregnant women), children and human rights defenders, among others. Survivors have suffered burns, numbness, miscarriage, urinary dysfunction, insomnia, exhaustion and profound psychological trauma.

    The report also looks at the escalating misuse of Projectile Electric Shock Weapons (PESWs) which can have a legitimate role in law enforcement but are often misused. Cases include the unnecessary and discriminatory use against vulnerable groups resulting in serious injuries and in some cases even death.

    Trade fairs in the UK

    In September 2024, Amnesty and the Omega Research Foundation found that a British company, The Squad Group Ltd led by retired police officers – including a former Assistant Chief Constable – were caught on camera demonstrating electric-shock torture equipment at a trade fair in Birmingham.

    The revelations raised serious questions about the enforcement of laws in relation to the prohibition of torture equipment as well as the staging of security equipment trade events. The trade in direct-contact and body-worn electric-shock weapons is illegal under laws regulating the arms and security trade, with UK companies and nationals banned from importing, exporting or in any way promoting these goods anywhere in the world. Electric-shock weapons are prohibited under The Trade in Torture etc. Goods (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, and current Government export control guidance clearly states that all trading activity, including promotion and marketing of these goods anywhere in the world, is prohibited.

    More information about The Squad Group Ltd here.

    Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s Chief Executive, said:

    “It’s shocking that prohibited torture equipment is openly being promoted and demonstrated by a UK company.

    “Despite raising this case directly with the UK government in September last year, no satisfactory answers have been provided to shed light on how these electric shock weapons have been able to be advertised, promoted and demonstrated despite seemingly robust legislation banning these activities. Alarmingly, since first alerting the authorities to this case, it has become clear that they have been demonstrated to several UK policing bodies.

    “Bringing any direct-contact electric-shock weapon into the UK must surely be a serious breach of current UK arms trade regulations that have been in place since prohibitions on electric shock weapons were first introduced by then Labour Foreign secretary Robin Cooke in 1997. To this day, these electric shock weapons are still being promoted for sale, suggesting that our existing rules are either not being properly enforced or are riddled with loopholes.”

    Tasers used in the UK

    In the latest use of force figures for England and Wales published by Home Office for April 2023 to March 2024, Tasers were used – that is drawn, aimed or discharged – a total of 33,232 times and police threatened to use Tasers against children 2,895 times with 66 charges. Five of those incidents, officers threatened to use Tasers against children under the age of 11.

    Tasers were used on Black people at a rate of 4.2 times higher than someone from a white ethnic group in England and Wales (excluding the Metropolitan Police). In the MET police area, Tasers were used at a rate of 4.4 times higher when percentages of Taser use by ethnicity were compared with the breakdown of ethnic groups in the general population in the 2021 Census. According to the Independent Office for Police Conduct found that Black people were more likely to be tasered for prolonged periods (over 5 seconds) than white people.

    Sacha Deshmukh added:

    “The police have a disturbing record of misusing Tasers, using them disproportionately against people from minority ethnic communities and those suffering from mental health crises, and also when people have been running away from officers and presenting no risk to them or the public.  

    “Tasers are potentially lethal weapons and they should only be made available to properly-trained specialist officers, and not normalised as a piece of weaponry available to every police officer operating on our streets.”  

    More information about Tasers used in the UK from page 30 in the report.

    Electric shock weapons used around the world

    During the 2022 “Woman Life Freedom” uprising in Iran, the military unit IRGC Basij battalion forced several boys to stand with their legs apart in a line alongside adult detainees and administered electric shocks to their genitals with stun guns. In another case, several schoolboys were abducted for writing the protest slogan “Woman Life Freedom” on a wall. One of the boys told Amnesty:

    “They hit my face with the back of a gun, gave electric shocks to my back, and beat me with batons on the bottom of my feet and hands…”

    PESWs have often been used as de facto direct contact electric shock weapons when deployed in “drive stun” mode. Recounting a raid by border guards on the Medininkai detention centre in Lithuania on 2 March 2022, one detainee from Sub-Saharan Africa said:

    “I was lying on the ground and still they have used tasers on me three times, and at the same time they beat me with the batons.” Another described being threatened by police officers who placed a “taser” on her forehead, telling her “‘Shut up or I will shoot you!’”

    Amnesty’s report reveals patterns of PESWs’ discriminatory deployment against racialised and marginalised groups, such as young Black men. In April 2024, police in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, were filmed using a Taser directly on the leg of a Black protester at a Palestine solidarity demonstration while he was pinned to the ground by three police officers and handcuffed.

    The urgent need for prohibitions and trade regulation

    At least 197 companies from all regions manufactured or promoted direct contact electric shock equipment for law enforcement between January 2018 and June 2023 – with most companies based in countries such as China, India and the USA.

    According to US-based Axon Enterprise, Inc., their Taser brand models are currently used by over 18,000 law enforcement agencies in more than 80 countries.

    Amnesty along with a global civil society network of over 80 organisations worldwide, is campaigning for the negotiation of a Torture-Free Trade Treaty that would introduce global prohibitions and controls on a wide range of law enforcement equipment, including electric shock weapons and equipment.

    Patrick Wilcken, Amnesty International’s researcher on military, security and policing issues, said:

    “Projectile Electric Shock Weapons are being used against individuals who pose no risk of violence, simply for punishment or compliance with orders.

    “Direct contact electric shock weapons can cause psychological distress, severe suffering, long-lasting physical disability. These include dart lacerations and penetration of the skull, eye, internal organs, throat, fingers and testis; electrical discharge induced burns, seizures and arrythmias; and a variety of injuries and deaths from falls. They are also being used in direct contact ‘drive stun’ mode, which should be prohibited.

    “Despite the clear human rights risks associated with their use, there are no global regulations controlling the production of and trade in electric shock equipment. Direct contact electric shock weapons need to be banned immediately and Projectile Electric Shock Weapons subject to strict human-rights-based trade controls.

    “There is an urgent need for a legally-binding treaty which would prohibit inherently abusive electric shock equipment and strictly control the trade in Projectile Electric Shock Weapons.

    “Companies should implement robust human rights due diligence and mitigation measures to ensure their products and services are not being systematically misused for torture or other ill-treatment. This includes ceasing production of direct contact electric shock devices and removing the ‘drive stun’ function from Projectile Electric Shock Weapons.”

    Alliance for Torture-Free Trade

    In September 2017, the EU, Argentina and Mongolia launched the Alliance for Torture-Free Trade at the margins of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. The Alliance currently comprises 62 states from all regions of the world pledging to “act together to further prevent, restrict and end trade” in goods used notably for torture or other ill-treatment. In October 2023, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture presented a thematic report on the torture trade at the UNGA which argued for a legally binding instrument to regulate the production of and trade in law enforcement equipment and included lists of goods considered prohibited and controlled.

    This is one of a series of in-depth research reports showing the devastating human rights impact of law enforcement equipment; previous reports include work on tear gas, batons, rubber bullets, and the trade in less lethal weapons used to repress protesters.

    MIL OSI NGO –