UN Declares Tasers A Form Of Torture

The Ottawa Citizen and 24.com have reported yesterday's announcement by the United Nations Committee Against Torture that Tasers constitute a form of torture AND that Taser's, notwithstanding Taser company statements and police authority assurances to the contrary, do in fact kill. The UN Committee Against Torture comments are contained in its response to Portugal:

Portugal

Following its consideration of the fourth periodic report of Portugal ... The Committee was worried that the use of TaserX26 weapons, provoking extreme pain, constituted a form of torture, and that in certain cases it could also cause death, as shown by several reliable studies and by certain cases that had happened after practical use.

The Citizen article states that about 275 people in the United States have died after being Tasered and cites information from Amnesty International that coroners have listed the Taser jolt as a contributing factor in more than 30 of those deaths.