Boing Boing: British farmer supplies gallows to totalitarian governments

Thursday, May 11, 2006

British farmer supplies gallows to totalitarian governments

A farmer in ~~Middlesex~~ Suffolk builds and exports gallows to African dictatorships, where they are used to execute dissidents and others who've been railroaded through corrupt judicial systems. He's been condemned by Amnesty International, but insists that "business is business," and some people deserve the death penalty. His business will be outlawed by a new EC regulation in July.

The execution equipment he says he sells ranges from single gallows, at about £12,000 each, to "Multi-hanging Execution Systems" mounted on lorry trailers, costing about £100,000.
Amnesty International UK director Kate Allen said: "It's appalling that a British man is apparently attempting to sell gallows to President Mugabe's government [in Zimbabwe].

Link (via Neatorama)

posted by Cory Doctorow at 01:30:26 PM permalink | Other blogs' comments

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