Private Firms Accused of Manufacturing Cruel Torture Instruments, Urgent Call for Ban
The UN's special rapporteur on torture has called for an international ban on the trade of certain instruments used for crowd control and individual restraint, accusing private manufacturers of developing increasingly cruel methods. The list of 20 items includes spiked batons, thumb cuffs, electric shock devices, sjamboks, gang chains, and heat rays. The UN expert highlighted the responsibility of manufacturers to cease producing such items and revealed that at least 335 companies in 54 countries are manufacturing and promoting the prohibited equipment. The majority of these companies are located in China, the US, the European Union, Israel, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates. The use of crowd control instruments has surged due to rising public protests worldwide, and the trade is predicted to grow by 8% over the next five years.