A Guardian investigation suggests Axon has continued supplying Israel with Taser weapons or accessories, while Amnesty calls for restrictions on electroshock-device exports.
In a feature published on 22 October, the Guardian reports allegations from four released Palestinian detainees that they were tortured with electroshock weapons made by US manufacturer Axon. The joint investigation with Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism suggests that Axon appears to have continued supplying Israel with Taser weapons or accessories.
The allegations follow earlier warnings about electric shocks in Israeli detention. In November 2025, the United Nations Committee Against Torture reported such allegations and said torture and ill-treatment had escalated sharply since 7 October 2023.
One former detainee, identified by the changed name Essa, says soldiers tied him up and applied a stun gun to his body. He was arrested in January 2024 and released in October 2025. The Guardian reports that scars remain visible; the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims says their closely spaced, paired pattern suggests repeated shocks while he was tightly restrained.
The investigation says Essa was likely tortured with an Axon-made Taser, a weapon that delivers an electric shock. Three other released detainees allege that Axon weapons were used to torture them between 2024 and 2025. According to the investigation, two Israel Prison Service videos show what appears to be an Axon Taser; all four men identified it as the weapon used against them.
The Guardian reports that Axon listed Israeli company Goren-Kidon Group as a distributor in 2025. The distributor lists Taser weapons among its products and the Israel Prison Service among its clients. Axon also showcased electroshock weapons to Israeli security-agency representatives at a conference in Israel in June 2025. The investigation says Axon appears to have continued signing contracts with Israeli entities to supply Taser weapons or accessories.
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An Israel Defense Forces spokesperson told the Guardian that detainee abuse is strictly prohibited. The spokesperson said restraints are used only in exceptional circumstances that justify them, subject to Israeli law, international law and military orders. The Guardian says it approached Axon and the Israel Prison Service for comment.
Axon’s electroshock weapons are manufactured in Arizona and fall under US Department of Commerce export licensing. The licensing criteria include whether evidence indicates that the importing country’s government may have violated internationally recognised human rights.
Amnesty is calling for restrictions on exports of electroshock devices. It has also called for this law-enforcement equipment to be included in the UN’s Arms Trade Treaty, which regulates trade in conventional weapons.
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