Torture is not an act that happens in isolation. It occurs in many contexts, and there are several techniques and means by which pain and suffering are infl icted on suspects, convicted inmates and others deprived of their liberty.
This policy brief highlights how African law-enforcement agencies or government security forces potentially misuse electric shock equipment in a way that contravenes international and continental anti-torture frameworks. It then discusses reported cases of such misuse in South Africa. Finally, recommendations are made on how the use of electric shock equipment on the continent could be curbed, along with ways to build on efforts to prohibit and prevent torture.
Recommendations:
- all policies and training with respect to the treatment of persons in custody should be compatible with national, regional and international human-rights standards
- African states should ratify the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or DegradingTreatment or Punishment, and the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
- all incidents of torture, assault and death in police custody should be reported and carefully monitored as a matter of public accountability and transparency, and perpetrators prosecuted
- handheld direct contact electric shock devices and body-worn electric shock devices designed for law enforcement are prone to abuse and should be prohibited