Restraints 1.9 HAND AND LEG CUFFS (COMBINATION) Key Technical Features Handcuffs and leg cuffs linked together by a long chain. Occasionally the leg cuffs are weighted. Designed to simultaneously restrict movement in more than one part of the body. These combination cuffs severely restrict movement, leading to a risk of secondary injuries should the detainee fall. Human Rights Concerns If the chain length is too short in relation to the detainee’s height, it could force the detainee to stoop, which may be humiliating or degrading. A too-short chain may also pose additional risks of secondary injuries due to falls. Their use can help facilitate torture or other ill-treatment (especially when used to restrain people in stress positions such as a hog-tie). If the cuffs include weighted leg cuffs (see entry on Weighted leg cuffs) their use constitutes a prima facie violation of the prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment. Statements and Standards from Human Rights Bodies Examples of Existing Controls UNODC and OHCHR: “Metal limb restraints, such as leg cuffs or chains that connect the limbs with chains to handcuffs and belts, should be avoided … Hog-tying, that is tying someone’s hands and legs together at the back, should not be used given the unnecessary discomfort and suffering it causes, as well as the risk of asphyxiation it poses.” 49 As this equipment includes leg cuffs, the EU Anti-Torture Regulation controls the export of this equipment. The US CCL controls the export of this equipment. Manufacture should be controlled. Trade and transfer should be controlled. Proposed Control Use should conform with international human rights standards. If weighted leg cuffs are included in the design, then the manufacture, trade, and use should be prohibited. 49 UNODC and OHCHR, Resource book on the use of force and firearms in law enforcement, 2017, p84. 27