Other Crowd Control 7.10 STUN GRENADES (FLASHBANG, DISTRACTION DEVICES) Key Technical Features Explosive charge from a stun grenade causes a loud bang (approx. 160 - 180 decibels) and as well as a near simultaneous bright flash of light. Combined, these are designed to cause temporary blindness and loss of hearing. This disorientation can cause individuals to panic. Some types of stun grenades also disperse chemical irritant. A range of calibre and types of models are available, which can be hand-thrown or rifle-fired. Parts of the grenade may become shrapnel when it explodes. There Use of stun grenades can cause is a risk of long-term damage to hearing or sight following the use of stun grenades, due to loud noise and bright flash of light. Human Rights Concerns Stun grenades can cause serious injury or death if thrown directly at an individual. Shrapnel from the explosion of the grenade may cause injuries. Their use can cause panic-driven stampedes. OHCHR: “[t]he use of pyrotechnic flash-bang grenades directly against a person would be unlawful”. 131 Statements and Standards from Human Rights Bodies Special Rapporteur on Torture: “disorientation devices” are “[w]eapons that might not be inherently cruel, inhuman or degrading [but] may nonetheless carry significant risks of being used in a manner contrary to the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, thus placing particular emphasis on the requirement of precautions.” 132 Examples of Existing Controls Some national export control regimes include these weapons on their list of equipment that requires an export licence. Manufacture should be controlled. Proposed Control 131 Trade and transfer should be controlled. The use of stun grenades should be prohibited as a method of crowd dispersal. OHCHR, UN human rights guidance on less-lethal weapons in law enforcement, 2020, para. 6.1.4. UN HRC, Extra-custodial use of force and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment : note / by the Secretary-General, 2017, paras. 52-53. 132 135