A/HRC/18/32 11. In its statement, the Working Group noted that although G4S employees were not law enforcement officials, they had been contracted by the Government of Great Britain to carry out governmental functions and, as such, the Government should ensure that they were subject to the same rules as the law enforcement officials who would normally carry out such functions. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur and the Working Group recalled the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials,2 which provides that such officials, in carrying out their duty, should, as far as possible, apply non-violent means before resorting to the use of force, and questioned the outsourcing of the public use of force to private security companies. C. Country visits 12. The Working Group undertook three country visits during the reporting period, to Equatorial Guinea, South Africa and Iraq. 13. The Working Group’s visit to Equatorial Guinea, from 16 to 20 August 2010, focused on the investigations and prosecutions relating to the attempted coup d’état of March 2004 and to the armed attack on the presidential palace by alleged mercenaries on 17 February 2009. The coup attempt of March 2004 was the most widely reported incident that clearly involved mercenaries, some of whom were current or former employees of private military and security companies from several other countries. The Working Group found that the attempt illustrated disturbing links between mercenaries and some private military and security companies, making the monitoring of such links all the more necessary. 14. With regard to the armed attack on the presidential palace by alleged mercenaries on 17 February 2009, the Working Group regretted the lack of transparency on the part of the authorities and the lack of cooperation extended to the Working Group during its visit. In this regard, the Working Group recommended that the Government should provide full information regarding the attack on the presidential palace and, in particular, that all judgements rendered in the criminal cases relating to the attack be rendered public. In addition, the Working Group urged the Government to provide explanations as to how the four men on trial for their alleged involvement in the attack had been brought back from Benin to Equatorial Guinea. The Working Group strongly condemned their execution on 21 August 2010, which followed a summary trial that was lacking in fundamental due process and was carried out so quickly that the four men were denied all possibility of appeal. 15. The Working Group recommended that the Government should consider developing national legislation to criminalize mercenarism and mercenary-related acts. In this context, it suggested that the Penal Code be revised and updated to bring it into line with the State’s international human rights obligations. It also urged the Government to consider acceding to the International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries as a matter of priority. Since all mercenaries should be held accountable for their actions, the Working Group advised that anyone accused of involvement in a mercenary-related incident should be tried by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal. It also recommended that anyone accused of involvement in a mercenary-related incident should be treated in accordance with international human rights standards, in particular the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The full report and recommendations are contained in an addendum to the present report (A/HRC/18/32/Add.2). 2 Adopted at the eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, Havana, held from 27 August to 7 September 1990. 6