4. TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Stopping torture and other ill-treatment must involve not only tackling the trade in physical “tools of torture”, but also putting an end to the transfer of potentially abusive training, technical assistance and expertise which can help create “professional torturers”. Whilst professional training of police and prison officers in the appropriate use of legitimate security equipment and restraints can reinforce and operationalize human rights standards and good practice, Amnesty International and the Omega Research Foundation have uncovered instances where law enforcement officials have been trained in abusive or dangerous methods such as hogtying or baton neck hold techniques.40 Such training, particularly if endorsed by senior law enforcement officials in recipient countries, risks entrenching potentially abusive practices in those countries. States should control the supply of technical assistance including instruction, advice, training and the transmission of working knowledge or skills that could aid the commission of torture and other ill-treatment. Such controls should ensure that the supply of technical assistance related to goods or working knowledge or skills which have no practical use other than for torture or other ill-treatment is prohibited. In addition, prior state authorisation should be required for any provision of training or other technical assistance relating to goods that have a legitimate law enforcement use but which could be abused for torture or ill-treatment or other human rights violations. Images of training in the use of neck-hold baton technique, taken from a company website. 40 Amnesty International and the Omega Research Foundation, Grasping the nettle: Ending Europe’s trade in execution and torture technology (Index: ACT 01/1632/2015). COMBATING TORTURE: THE NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE REGULATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT EQUIPMENT Amnesty International | Omega Research Foundation 23