DEVICES AUTHORIZED FOR USE 9 Made in Russia Made in China Figure 2.2. Wall cuffs Sources: ‘Made in Russia’, <http://allprotection.ru/en/catalog/speczialnyie-sredstva/naruch niki-bos,-bks/kopiya-bks-1-prikol.html>; and ‘Made in China’, © Robin Ballantyne/Omega Research Foundation. from any other establishments in which similar devices have been installed’.14 Cuffing to a wall or another fixed object has also been reported in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.15 While it is unclear exactly what equipment is actually in use in these states (i.e. a specially designed wall cuff or a pair of conventional handcuffs), the practice of cuffing to walls or other fixed objects should be prohibited regardless of the type of cuffs used. Thumb cuffs (see figure 2.3), which are made of two small cuffs connected by a metal chain link or, more commonly, a solid metal bar, are also of particular concern. Some cuffs are internally serrated. Designed for use as a restraining device, they can also be used in stress positions. In 2014 the European Commission added thumb cuffs to Annex II (the prohibited list) of EC Regulation 1236/2005 stating that: ‘Thumb and finger cuffs and neck restraints are not considered admissible for use in law enforcement . . . it is 14 CPT, Report to the Russian Government on the Visit to the Russian Federation carried out by the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) 21 May–4 June 2012, CPT/Inf (2013) 41, <http://www.cpt.coe.int/documents/rus/2013-41-inf-eng.pdf accessed 13/05/2014>, p. 29.
15 Nowak, M., Report of the Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Manfred Nowak, Mission to Kazakhstan from 5–13 May 2009, <http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/13specialsession/A.HRC.13.39.Add.3_en.pdf>; and Nowak, M., Report by the Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Manfred Nowak, Mission to Mongolia, E/CN.4/2006/6/Add.4, <http://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=E/CN.4/2006/6/Add.4&Lang=E>, p. 21; CPT, Report to the Ukrainian Government on the Visit to Ukraine carried out by the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) 9–21 September 2009, CPT/Inf (2011) 29, <http://www.cpt.coe.int/documents/ukr/2011-29-inf-eng.pdf>; and Van Boven, T. (2003), Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture, Theo van Boven, submitted in accordance with Commission Resolution 2002/38, Mission to Uzbekistan, E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.2, <http://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=E/CN.4/2003/68/Add.2& Lang=E>, p. 47.