INTRODUCTION 5 Box 1.1. A note on sources While it is possible to commit torture with almost anything, references to specific devices in national laws and reports by torture monitors, as well as the very public use of a range of devices in public-order situations that have resulted in injuries and deaths, mean that knowledge of the different systems deployed is necessary in order to understand the implications of their use and challenge any incidences of misuse or excessive use of force. The case examples highlighted in this report are all drawn from reports published by monitors stationed in the region in question. The equipment examples are taken from transfer information made public by certain international centres of production, for example, the United States and selected European Union member states, which publish annual reports on export licenses granted for the transfer of lawenforcement equipment. Other producer states, such as Brazil and Taiwan, also make trade data available on licensing requirements for certain devices and numbers of devices granted to individual destinations. Media reports on police and security issues (e.g. demonstrations) are often the first indication that equipment has been transferred, and can also give some idea of how such devices may be used (and misused). In relation to specific instances of misuse or ill-treatment, reports by nongovernmental monitoring organizations, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, often contain information on instances of ill-treatment and on how such treatment occurs, referencing specific methods of torture and ill-treatment as well as the actors involved. This can give a good indication of the extent to which illtreatment is systematic, and of whether specific law-enforcement devices are involved (as opposed to more rudimentary, ad hoc systems or techniques). Where law-enforcement devices are involved, questions may be asked about the suitability of such devices, the training of authorities in their use, and the use-of-force standards. In all cases of ill-treatment, knowledge of techniques and devices allows for the corroboration of survivor testimony and can potentially form part of the evidence used to hold perpetrators to account. In cases where information on illtreatment of individuals is referenced by a specific type of torture (e.g. electric shocks), the knowledge that this type of torture occurs in a certain location (i.e. country, prison or police station) allows questions to be asked about the devices deployed by different services and the advisability of international transfers of such devices to forces with an alleged history of using this type of torture. Another source of information on the equipment and techniques used in the commission of torture and ill-treatment is the reports of international monitoring bodies such as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture (SRT) or the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT). Such reports often reference the use of specific devices in ill-treatment or patterns of torture. The CPT has also provided a set of recommendations governing the use of certain devices in various scenarios. The cases of ill-treatment highlighted in this report are therefore drawn from these sources and include examples referencing the specific use of equipment in torture or ill-treatment, or in public-order situations where concerns have been raised about the excessive use of force against protestors.