Italian firms cited in an Amnesty International report as exporting illegal torture devices have said they will sue the group for defamation, though the government says it is taking the report seriously. "We sell none of the items listed in that report," said the owner of Defense System Srl, Marc Busin. The police equipment wholesaler is one of five Italian companies accused by Amnesty International of selling illegal police equipment to countries known to practice torture.

But Busin said his company was an "importer only and deals exclusively in products made in Germany and certified for sale in the European Union". He denied that his businesses sold the electric shock 'cuffs' and chemical sprays the human rights campaigners alleged were being manufactured by Italian companies. The owner of Rome-based arms wholesaler, Armeria Frinchillucci, also said he would take legal action. "I couldn't believe it. This is a family-run enterprise. We've been in this business for five generations and have never sold anything that wasn't 100% legal," Massimo Moroni Frinchillucci said. "All of our products are registered with the authorities who check up on us regularly and know that we only deal in certified self-defence equipment". Frinchillucci said there were upwards of 30 other wholesalers in the EU with a near identical catalogue of products that were not mentioned on Amnesty International's list.

Junior Industry Minister Adolfo Urso also expressed surprise, saying the Italian government had "no knowledge" of any businesses trading in the banned equipment but that customs officials were at work to make sure. He added that any firms caught dealing in torture tools would "face legal consequences". "Italy prohibits the exportation of any and all torture devices. In fact, all arms must have the industry ministry's approval before they can be sold abroad," he said. According to the report by Amnesty International, five Italian companies were involved in selling the electrified restraints, which are listed as a torture device by the European Union. Defence System Srl, Access Group Srl, Joseph Stifter Sas, Armeria Frinchillucci Srl and PSA Srl were accused of selling the cuffs to at least nine foreign governments suspected of human rights abuses. The devices have been banned for trade since 2006, but Amnesty International said firms in Italy and several other EU countries used "legal loopholes" to continue selling them.

Italy was among five countries documented in the report who stated they were unaware of any producers of torture devices. However, the report said that companies in Italy and two other EU members "have stated openly that they supply items banned by (EU) regulations, often manufactured in third countries". Germany and the Czech Republic were two other EU members cited as manufacturing outlawed wall restraints and metal thumb cuffs. Hungary was also mentioned for declaring in 2005 that it would use electric stun belts in its prisons, despite their prohibition in the EU. Other countries accused of selling banned police instruments were Belgium, Cyprus, Finland and Malta. According to Amnesty International, the report will be addressed at a meeting on Thursday of the EU Parliament's Sub-Committee on Human Rights. The group is urging the EU to close the loopholes used by producers to export torture devices. "We want to ensure that at Thursday's meeting (MEPs) apply the utmost commitment to ensure the EU has a robust set of controls on the trade of this equipment," said spokesman Oliver Sprague. "EU members must impose truly effective controls on European trade in policing and security equipment and ensure that such goods do not become part of the torturer's tool kit," he said.

"The EU cannot apply double standards when it comes to torture. It cannot say that it abhors torture in all circumstances and then silently permit the transfer of weapons that are used in acts of torture". Italy is one of 105 nations which have signed the UN's Convention against Torture, though it has been rapped by Amnesty International because it has no independent body to monitor and take action against police officers accused of ill-treatment of prisoners. However, it moved one step closer last November when a bill introducing torture as a separate felony in the Italian penal code, instead of an aggravating factor to assault, received the green light from the Senate justice committee.