Grasping the nettle: Ending Europe’s Trade in Execution and Torture Technology 51 Destination country Number of licenses granted and year Equipment Reports of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in destination countries Democratic Republic of the Congo 1 (2013) Electric Shock “Electric shocks were administered in two cases and two other women reported the use of asphyxiation techniques, including the submersion of the head into a toilet and/or partial strangulation.” Source: Freedom from Torture, submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women for its examination of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), July 2013, Torture of women in the DRC 2006-2011 http://www.freedomfromtorture.org/sites/default/files/documents/freedom_from_torture_submission_for_cedaws_examination_of_the_drc_july_2013.pdf “Congolese human rights defenders and a lawyer confirmed that detainees are not given access to lawyers during their imprisonment. Returnees reported the following ill treatment in prison: • • • • • • Handcuffed, blindfolded and severely beaten: 1/15 Severely beaten: 6/15 Electric shock treatment: 2/15 Sexual abuse: 2/10 men Rape: 2/5 women Slaps and blows with hand/fist: 2/5 women” “The Institute for War and Peace Reporting (2 July 2009) states that the Centre de Droits de L’homme reported the arrest of a man in Lubumbashi, “because he had criticised DRC President Joseph Kabila.” He was accused of the offence of offending the Head of State.“I was severely tortured, flogged, then plugged to electrical power, and I underwent strangulation of my genitals for the whole night of March 16, by ANR agents.” Source: Justice First, Unsafe Return, Refoulement of Congolese Asylum Seekers, A report compiled by Catherine Ramos, 24 November 2011 http://justicefirst.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/UNSAFE-RETURN-DECEMBER-5TH-2011.pdf Turkey 1 (2013) Electric shock and pepper spray Wide spread misuse of tear gas and pepper spray by Turkish law enforcement officials against demonstrators taking part in the Gezi Park protests during May-June 2013 was documented by Amnesty International. “Hand held pepper spray devices were frequently used against peaceful protestors in a manner that is inappropriate and abusive. Individuals told Amnesty International that police officers sprayed pepper spray in their eyes as a punishment when they were apprehended at the scene of demonstrations.” Source: Turkey: Gezi Park protests: Brutal denial of the right to peaceful assembly in Turkey, Amnesty International, 2 October 2013, EUR 44/022/2013 Index: EUR 01/1632/2015 Amnesty International May 2015 ?