24/7 pistols, after serious flaws were discovered with the firearm’s design which, in some cases, caused the weapon to fire without the trigger being pulled92. More recently, it was reported that nearly 6000 sub-machine guns supplied by the company had remained in boxes, unused, for over five years after cracks were discovered which made the weapons unsafe to use93. These issues have since led Taurus to be prohibited from supplying weapons to Sao Paulo for a period of two years94. 3.1.7 Stun Grenades The wide variety of stun grenades available on the market means that risks associated with their use can vary substantially depending on the devices’ intended purpose, design and technical features. Despite their use by law enforcement agencies around the world, there currently exist no international standards regulating the design, operation or manufacture of stun grenades. As such, it is essential that prior to procurement all stun grenades intended for deployment in a law enforcement context are rigorously and independently tested to ascertain their risk of causing injury and to ensure that they can be used in compliance with international human rights standards. At a minimum, these tests should assess the explosive energy of the grenades, including the pressure wave, sound and heat generated by the device’s detonation. Tests should also be conducted to assess the risk of injury from fragmentation. Given that explosive or fragmenting grenades pose a high risk of blast injuries and/or burns, these types of devices are inappropriate crowd control. The results of all tests conducted should be made publicly available along with any documents concerning the equipment’s technical specifications, features or use parameters. Given their indiscriminate nature and potential to cause serious and life-threatening injuries, it is essential that prior to deployment consideration is also given to the operational context in which stun grenades are likely to be used. Specifically, it is important to consider whether it is possible to use stun grenades lawfully and proportionally in this context and whether alternative types of equipment could achieve the same objectives more safely. Research carried out for this report identified three Brazilian manufacturers of stun grenades promoted for law enforcement purposes, namely Indios Pirotecnia, RJC Defesa Aeroespacial Ltda and Condor. Certain models of stun grenade manufactured by Condor have been marketed as being suitable for use indoors. While the use of stun grenades in confined spaces such as prison environments may be lawful in exceptional circumstances such as hostage situations involving an imminent threat of death or serious injury95, such use increases the risk of serious or life-threatening injuries. To date, Omega has been unable to identify any scientific tests that support Condor’s claim that their grenades are safe to use indoors. If these tests have already been conducted, then the results should be made publicly available. If not, then Condor should cease promoting these grenades as suitable for indoor use and arrange appropriate scientific tests to verify their claims. ▲ Stun grenades manufactured by Condor on display at Milipol 2019 © Robin Ballantyne/Omega Research Foundation 38