PROHIBIT 3.1 GOODS THAT SHOULD BE PROHIBITED 3.1.1 ELECTRIC SHOCK WEAPONS AND DEVICES DIRECT CONTACT ELECTRIC SHOCK WEAPONS AND DEVICES INCLUDING STUN GUNS, SHOCK BATONS, SHOCK SHIELDS Images (from left to right) of an electric shock baton, electric shock stun gun, electric shock shield and electric shock grabbing device (all images© Robin Ballantyne/Omega Research Foundation). The electric shock from these weapons and devices is applied directly by hand, as they are pressed against an individual, causing intense localized pain but generally not incapacitating the subject. Due to their intrinsic nature and design, direct contact electric shock weapons and devices carry an unacceptable risk of arbitrary force. In addition, the ability to apply extremely painful electric shocks at the push of a button, and to repeatedly do this without long-lasting identifiable physical traces, makes them a favoured tool of torture. UN and regional torture monitors, Amnesty International and other nongovernmental anti-torture organizations have documented incidents of abuse in all regions of the world.7 SERBIA: ELECTRIC SHOCK TORTURE TO ELICIT FORCED CONFESSIONS The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) documented the use of electric shock torture or other ill-treatment by Serbian police officers to force prisoners to confess to certain crimes.8 One person arrested in Belgrade in March 2017 was brought to the Metropolitan Police Headquarters where he was forced to sit in a chair with his hands cuffed behind his back, punched several times in the body and subjected to repeated electric shocks from a hand-held torch-like device (measuring around 20cm) to the ribs, legs and lower back. 7 8 8 See Amnesty International, Hotspot Italy, How EU’s flagship approach leads to violations of refugee and migrant rights (Index: EUR 30/5004/2016) p. 18, https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur30/5004/2016/en/; Amnesty International, Above the law, police torture in the Philippines (Index: ASA 35/007/2014), p. 75, https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa35/007/2014/en/; Amnesty International, Report 2016/17 (Index: POL 10/4800/2017), p. 308, https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/pol10/4800/2017/en/ European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), Report to the Government of Serbia on the visit to Serbia carried out by the CPT from 31 May to 7 June 2017, CPT/Inf (2018) 21, Strasbourg, 21 June 2018, p.12. See https://rm.coe.int/16808b5ee7. COMBATING TORTURE: THE NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE REGULATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT EQUIPMENT Amnesty International | Omega Research Foundation