it may turn out that hostages in zones of armed conflicts can be kept in extremely inhuman conditions, literally in death camps. So, in 1996, a group of power engineers from Saratov was sent to restore work in Chechnya. Five of them were captured by militants, and only one of them, Vladimir Skubitsky, survived. Many months later he managed to escape. Here is what he said:
Only non-humans could arrange such a concentration camp, which I visited. There were 140 people in the camp at the beginning. And when I fled, 40 remained, they were dying one after another. Of these, only fifteen people were more or less on their feet, the rest were living corpses.
Most were civilians. All Russian speakers and all visitors. Mostly builders, power engineers. We lived in the mountains, slept on the ground in pits that we dug ourselves. We moved all the time in the mountains, we walked only at night. People died from hunger, cold, disease. They fed us something even worse than gruel. Kruggu-cut was boiled down to a paste - you can glue the wallpaper. MHOIKX prisoners developed a disease like dysentery” and burned out from dehydration in just a week. Someone was dying of pneumonia - after all, good clothes, money, and passports were taken away from us on the day of captivity. Instead, they gave out rags.
Several people died a day, we barely had time to bury them. They dug holes in the forest fifty centimeters deep, dug in and put up landmarks: they hoped that the war would someday end and relatives would be able to dig up the bodies of their husbands and sons.
The bandits under the leadership of commander Ahmed thought such tortures, such tortures, that it is incomprehensible to the mind. They didn't just beat them, they beat them to death. I've only seen this before in movies about the Nazis. And when six Saratov builders tried to escape, they were caught, they lined us up, and right in front of the formation they were shot point-blank.
The militants were Chechens of 25 years old, mostly - poorly educated rural residents. But everyone hated us - both fifteen-year-old boys and old people. We told them; “What are you doing: we have come to restore your electricity!” And they answered us: "Three hundred years they lived without lights with torches, and your" electricity is not needed.
An employee from their security department came to us with his bone-breakers. Arranged interrogations, demanded to confess that we were FSB officers.
I am Orthodox. And tamg in hell, only faith in God helped me survive. We fled at dawn, when no one paid any attention to us, the goners. I always said to Viktor from Volgodonsk, with whom I fled: “Let's die in freedom, but not here!” It would be the greatest humiliation to die among them.
Why did I survive, while many stayed there forever? Probably fate.
Then, when I had already been taken to the headquarters of the commander of the grouping of federal forces and the security officers and the military had already talked to me, special forces were sent to the place that I indicated. It turned out that we remembered the square correctly, but these animals realized that we still reached it, and left the place.
How to behave during an interrogation
In most cases, abducted people are interrogated. Interrogation may take the form of polite questions, or it may be accompanied by brutal torture. People skilled in interrogation try to give the impression of benevolence. They may treat you much better than others, to the point where you are grateful to do whatever they want you to do. Hostages may even feel guilty when they fail to remember enough of the essential information they ask you about. Interrogator can ask questions in a polite manner, threatening that in case of intransigence he will be forced to hand you over to his assistant, a cruel and stupid person. !
During interrogation, they also use a technique when they try to shock or take you by surprise by presenting, for example, confidential or deeply personal information. At the same time, you may decide that so much is known about you, your guilt has been proven, and that little piece of information that can be told to terrorists will no longer matter much.
To psychologically break a hostage, the following pressure measures are most often used:
Insufficient or poor nutrition;
Creation of unbearable conditions of stay.
The first phase of containment under such conditions is especially difficult, as the hostage is constantly being humiliated. However, in the end, most people demonstrate a strong will. To survive this, some concentrate on the little things, others solve mathematical problems. There are people who recalled the life they lived, the books they read, or the films they saw. People were able to recall long-forgotten facts in amazing detail. Some hostages were worried incredible adventure or built in the imagination of extraordinary pictures. This form of distraction and creative use of thought is available to everyone.
Poor or tasteless food. As a rule, food is served in a common dish. It can be completely tasteless, if not edible at all. Doctors who examined the food given to the hostages mostly concluded that it was sufficient to sustain life. Food can be given irregularly, in insufficient quantities, they can generally be tormented by hunger and thirst. So you need to eat everything that the invaders give, if only this will allow you to save strength.
Creation of unbearable living conditions. Hostages often complain about unsanitary conditions of their stay. Tightness, dirt, stench, noise, insects, dampness, cold, rats - this is an incomplete list of what terrorists can provide you with. Cleanliness is very important in life, but to be honest, no one has yet died from the lack of a daily shower and soap. If there is an opportunity to wash - use it, if not - you should not worry too much. You can admit that this is unpleasant for your environment, but this is more their problem than yours. The likelihood that poor conditions of detention will significantly affect your health is too small.
Torture. For weak natures, all of the above is already more than enough to fulfill any requirements of the kidnappers. However, it should be taken into account that criminals still have such a means as torture in reserve. Throughout history, mankind has developed great amount torture. Many of them are very effective.
In general, torture can be divided into two main groups: those that cause severe pain, and those where fear is the main means of influence.
The first group includes: beating, whipping, pressing on pain points, twisting fussiness, cuts and tears in the skin, drilling and pulling out teeth, squeezing the genitals, sticking needles, dousing with boiling water, exposure to hot objects, electric shock etc.
The second group mainly includes: threats of suffocation, dropping from high altitude, the threat of gang rape, facial disfigurement, and so on.
It should be noted that the first group of tortures is usually easier to endure than the second. The fact is that there is a certain threshold of pain sensitivity. Once it is overcome, the body becomes immune to pain. psychological reception; if you want to endure the torture, relax, convince yourself to "love the balls", turn into a masochist, a pervert who enjoys the sensation of pain.
As for the measures of psychological deterrence, their transfer requires the absence of an inner "I" in a given place and at a given time. It is beyond the power of a beginner to achieve such a state - specific training is needed here. Therefore, when a person is put on a plastic bag over his head or dipped headlong into a bath, he begins to suffocate and falls into a state of horror. It is easy to frighten a woman with the threat of gang rape or a demonstration of an attempt to disfigure her face. Often bandits use effective method interrogation with predilection, when another person is tortured in front of one person, especially if they are close people.
In general, one way or another, the kidnappers make you talk. Therefore, you need to define:
How important is hidden information to you;
How far criminals can go in their torture (the higher the threat of torture in the second group and the lower the fear of torture in the first group, the less sense it makes to endure suffering);
What do you need to hide from the terrorists in any case.
Use your language and non-verbal gestures to hide your thoughts. Practice shows that most people fail to remain silent in the face of torture, so follow these rules:
1. First of all, remember that you will probably not be hit while you are talking.
2. Before each answer to the next question, pause longer to understand where the interrogator is driving, and also so that he cannot understand your weaknesses. Pauses can be explained by the fact that you remember the details and think about how best to express yourself.
3. Speak as much as possible using professional terms, abbreviations, obscure words and any specific jargon you know so that you are less understood.
4. Try to be vague, inaccurate, ambiguous and ambiguous.
5. Ask the interrogator again, answer inappropriately.
6. Stop more on unimportant details, various trifles that are not directly related to the essence of the question asked, start a dispute.
7. At every opportunity, repeat that you do not have the necessary information, since this was not part of your duties, interests, or competence. This should be your initial tactic, but it may not always work, especially if others have given information about you or if the interrogator has credible incriminating material.
8. Pretend that because of injuries, pain, fear, excitement, you cannot remember anything, are not able to collect your thoughts, reason and express consistently.
9. In some cases, pretend that you do not understand the questions addressed to you due to the strong accent of the interrogator, slurred and unclear pronunciation, use of criminal jargon, etc.
10. Answer monotonously, without gestures and emotions, then it will be more difficult to understand where is the truth and where is the lie. Try to avoid making eye contact with criminals.
11. Watch your speech, be polite, do not argue or criticize, do not try to talk to them about what they do not want to hear. Establish your point of view not by objections and disputes, but by seeming agreement.
12. Use non-verbal language to read information from criminals and mislead them (more on this was discussed in Chapter 9).
In any case, one should behave in such a way as not to drop honor and dignity. Such a position inspires respect, and after the incident is over, it allows you to quickly bounce back.
While in captivity, keep in mind that your captors may try to use you and use the information received to harm people close to you or other hostages.
Often, information obtained just from one hostage is used at the time of interrogation of another. It should be remembered that whatever you say can be used to free or destroy your colleague, and your actions can lead to someone being punished.
Interrogated persons should not give out ((sensitive points) of their fellow prisoners, nor should they voluntarily disclose confidential information, sign or draw up statements.
The decision on a group escape attempt is at your discretion. In any case, this extremely risky event must be previously agreed with all participants in the escape and carefully planned.
To overcome the pgtki, you can use the following methods:
Focus on a vivid sensation of pain, trying to bring it to the maximum level at which it is no longer perceived (the so-called "burning of the nerve");
Focus on a parallel stimulus, for example, squeezing something between the teeth;
Excite yourself powerful emotions(rage, hatred) that can block pain;
Turn off your consciousness through concentration or other psycho-energetic techniques, in extreme cases, by an elementary hit with your head against the wall;
- “go out into the astral plane” from your physical body using psychotechniques;
To mentally transform oneself into an object that is not capable of experiencing pain (a cloud, a lake, a stone, etc.).
It is useful to know about a person's attitude to pain that;
People who are prone to communication endure pain more easily than those who love loneliness;
When a pain sensation is expected, sensitivity to pain increases markedly, especially if a person does not like it very much or is cowardly and cowardly;
The pain is most acute at night, especially at 1 am, weaker - during the day, even weaker - in the evening.
Actions of hostages upon release
The ending of a kidnapping, hostage taking or plane hijacking incident is usually a very stressful moment for everyone involved, no matter how it happens.
Voluntary release. The best and safest ending for the hostage is a voluntary release, in which the parties agree on terms of release or the hostage-takers surrender. In the event of an abduction, you can be taken to some deserted place and left there alone, or left in a locked room, the exit from which will require a lot of time and effort. And they can drop them off on a busy street, away from traffic police posts and police officers, military patrols, and leave. After that, the car is usually abandoned or the number is changed on it soon.
In a hostage-taking situation, the hostage-taken person can be handed over to the authorities by obtaining the permission of the terrorists at the exit of the facility where he was being held. In some cases, criminals use single rendition to disguise themselves as a hostage and then escape. Counterterrorism units usually know this. Therefore, when leaving the shelter outside, everyone is ordered to keep their hands behind their heads. You should not be indignant at this, make sudden movements. Until the identification procedure is completed, precautions are necessary.
Release of hostages with the use of weapons. It may happen that the anti-terrorist group will free you. In this case, one should be afraid to convince the criminals that it is best for them to surrender, Then they can count on a lighter sentence. If such an attempt was unsuccessful, try to convince them that their fate is directly dependent on yours. If they commit murder, then any negotiations between the authorities and them lose their meaning. Then only an assault with the use of weapons awaits them.
When the assault has begun or is about to begin, you need to take cover in some safe place. It is better to lie face down on the floor, away from windows and doors through which special forces soldiers can jump in or shoot. In an airplane, where it is impossible to lie down on an iol, one must bend down to the knees and remain motionless. At the time of the assault, do not pick up the weapons of criminals. Otherwise fighters assault group They might take you for a criminal and shoot you to kill. They have no time to understand at this time, the hostages must reckon with rough treatment during the rescue operation. During the assault, criminals often try to hide among the hostages, disguise themselves as them and impersonate the victims. Try to the best of your ability not to allow them to do this, immediately report them to the bursting fighters.
It is very important that you do not take the initiative and try to get involved in a scuffle when a gang takeover occurs. First of all, don't try to disarm the criminals.
hostage syndrome. Usually at the stage of release, a relatively frequent phenomenon, known as the hostage syndrome, takes on some significance. After the capture of the hostages psychologically take the side of the terrorists. There is an explanation for this phenomenon: the capture occurs suddenly, and the release is an expected process. Everyone understands that there may be an assault, and if a person has not yet suffered at the hands of terrorists, then he may suffer during the liberation. The hostages are in the same room with the terrorists and, as it were, are connected with them by the same fate, therefore any non-concession of power, attempts to put some pressure on the terrorists, for example, bargaining with them, putting forward some conditions, naturally, cause dissatisfaction among the hostages as well. Their fate depends on the fate of the terrorists, so the intransigence of the authorities is perceived as a disregard for their fate. During the liberation operation, the hostages sometimes even faster fulfilled the requirements of the invaders than the soldiers of the special forces. And (in this regard, they risked their lives. There were also such cases when the hostages helped the invaders to escape. One recommendation is appropriate here - try not to succumb to this psychological effect and do not assist the bandits with your behavior and do not interfere with special forces.
Few people know about the existence of the hostage syndrome and to what extent some people are susceptible to its effects* Based on this, you should be able to make decisions based on thoughtful analysis of factors rather than on emotions.
It should be borne in mind that in cases where the location of the hostages and the location of the criminals is established, the capture teams and special services will try to use technical means to eavesdrop on conversations taking place in the premises. Keep this in mind and in conversation with the criminals report information that, if intercepted, can be used in preparing the assault. Particularly important are vivid and characteristic signs by which one can distinguish a hostage from a criminal, about the weapons of the terrorists, their number, location inside the premises, their morale and intentions.
And the last. It has long been noted; At the first stage of the hostage-taking, the interests, paradoxically, of two more groups coincide - terrorists and journalists. Journalists need information, and as much as possible. The terrorists have the same interest: to declare themselves as widely as possible. However, journalists give out information not only about terrorists, but also about the actions of special forces. And this plays into the hands of the bandy there.
requirement torture, since the Marseilles frankly confessed at the very first interrogation
subject interrogation and so the prosecutor puts this requirement, not knowing, should.
At interrogation of the victim, it is necessary in each case to take into account the depth of his mental experiences and those factors that predetermine his mental state.
...(famous people, priests, etc.). The position of slaves giving evidence against their master was especially regulated: after interrogation under torture they were considered...
Its special types are interrogation expert and interrogation at face-to-face. interrogation can be effective only if certain tactical conditions are met ...
Techniques
Police Torture
- how to avoid, how to survive, what to do next
How to behave better when you are still beaten:
12937
For centuries, people have come up with sophisticated ways to beat information out of a person. Bamboo torture, iron maiden, cradle of Judas, rack - all these cruel torture capable of breaking even the most strong people. I suggest a little dip in dark side the history of mankind.
1 Chinese Bamboo Torture
The infamous way of the terrible Chinese execution all over the world. Perhaps a legend, because to this day not a single documentary evidence has survived that this torture was actually used.
Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on Earth. Some of its Chinese varieties can grow as much as a meter in a day. Some historians believe that the deadly bamboo torture was used not only by the ancient Chinese, but also by the Japanese military during World War II.
How it works?
1) Live bamboo sprouts are sharpened with a knife to make sharp "spears";
2) The victim is suspended horizontally, back or belly over a bed of young pointed bamboo;
3) Bamboo grows rapidly in height, pierce into the skin of the martyr and sprout through his abdominal cavity, the person dies very long and painfully.
2. Iron Maiden
Like torture with bamboo, many researchers consider the "iron maiden" a terrible legend. Perhaps these metal sarcophagi with sharp spikes inside only frightened the defendants, after which they confessed to anything. The "iron maiden" was invented at the end of the 18th century, i.e. already at the end of the Catholic Inquisition.
How it works?
1) The victim is stuffed into the sarcophagus and the door is closed;
2) The spikes driven into the inner walls of the "iron maiden" are rather short and do not pierce the victim through, but only cause pain. The investigator, as a rule, in a matter of minutes receives a confession, which the arrested person only has to sign;
3) If the prisoner shows fortitude and continues to be silent, long nails, knives and rapiers are pushed through special holes in the sarcophagus. The pain becomes simply unbearable;
4) The victim never confesses to his deed, then she was locked in a sarcophagus for a long time, where she died from blood loss;
5) In some models of the “iron maiden”, spikes were provided at eye level in order to quickly poke them out.
3. Skafism
The name of this torture comes from the Greek "skafium", which means "trough". Skafism was popular in ancient Persia. During the torture, the victim, most often a prisoner of war, was devoured alive by various insects and their larvae that were not indifferent to human flesh and blood.
How it works?
1) The prisoner is placed in a shallow trough and wrapped in chains.
2) He is force-fed with large amounts of milk and honey, which causes the victim to develop copious diarrhea that attracts insects.
3) A prisoner, shabby, smeared with honey, is allowed to swim in a trough in a swamp, where there are many hungry creatures.
4) Insects immediately start the meal, as the main dish - the living flesh of the martyr.
4. Terrible pear
“There is a pear - you can’t eat it,” it is said about the medieval European tool for “educating” blasphemers, liars, women who gave birth out of wedlock, and men of non-traditional orientation. Depending on the crime, the tormentor put the pear into the sinner's mouth, anus or vagina.
How it works?
1) The tool, consisting of pointed pear-shaped leaf-shaped segments, is thrust into the client's desired hole in the body;
2) The executioner slowly turns the screw on the top of the pear, while the “leaves”-segments bloom inside the martyr, causing hellish pain;
3) After the pear is opened, the completely guilty person receives internal injuries incompatible with life and dies in terrible agony, if he had not already fallen into unconsciousness.
5. Copper bull
The design of this death unit was developed by the ancient Greeks, or to be more precise, the coppersmith Perill, who sold his terrible bull to the Sicilian tyrant Falaris, who simply adored torturing and killing people in unusual ways.
Inside the copper statue, through a special door, they pushed a living person.
Falaris first tested the unit on its creator, the greedy Perilla. Subsequently, Falaris himself was roasted in a bull.
How it works?
1) The victim is closed in a hollow copper statue of a bull;
2) A fire is kindled under the belly of the bull;
3) The victim is roasted alive, like a ham in a frying pan;
4) The structure of the bull is such that the cries of the martyr come from the mouth of the statue, like a bull's roar;
5) Jewelry and amulets were made from the bones of the executed, which were sold in the bazaars and were in great demand ..
6. Torture by rats
Rat torture was very popular in ancient China. However, we will look at the rat punishment technique developed by the leader of the 16th century Dutch Revolution, Didrik Sonoy.
How it works?
1) The naked martyr is laid on a table and tied;
2) Large, heavy cages with hungry rats are placed on the prisoner's stomach and chest. The bottom of the cells is opened with a special valve;
3) Hot coals are placed on top of the cages to stir up the rats;
4) Trying to escape from the heat of hot coals, rats gnaw their way through the flesh of the victim.
7. Cradle of Judas
The Cradle of Judas was one of the most painful torture machines in the arsenal of the Suprema - the Spanish Inquisition. The victims usually died from the infection, due to the fact that the peaked seat of the torture machine was never disinfected. The cradle of Judas, as an instrument of torture, was considered "loyal", because it did not break bones and did not tear ligaments.
How it works?
1) The victim, whose hands and feet are tied, is seated on the top of a pointed pyramid;
2) The top of the pyramid pierces the anus or vagina;
3) With the help of ropes, the victim is gradually lowered lower and lower;
4) Torture continues for several hours or even days, until the victim dies from powerlessness and pain, or from blood loss due to rupture of soft tissues.
8. Elephant trampling
For several centuries, this execution was practiced in India and Indochina. The elephant is very easy to train and to teach him to trample the guilty victim with his huge feet is a matter of several days.
How it works?
1. The victim is tied to the floor;
2. A trained elephant is brought into the hall to crush the head of the martyr;
3. Sometimes before the "control in the head" animals squeeze the victims' arms and legs in order to amuse the audience.
9. Rack
Probably the most famous, and unsurpassed in its kind, death machine called "rack". It was first experienced around 300 AD. on the Christian martyr Vincent of Zaragoza.
Anyone who survived the rack could no longer use their muscles and turned into a helpless vegetable.
How it works?
1. This instrument of torture is a special bed with rollers at both ends, on which ropes were wound, holding the wrists and ankles of the victim. When the rollers rotated, the ropes stretched in opposite directions, stretching the body;
2. Ligaments in the hands and feet of the victim are stretched and torn, bones pop out of the joints.
3. Another version of the rack was also used, called strappado: it consisted of 2 pillars dug into the ground and connected by a crossbar. The interrogated person was tied with his hands behind his back and lifted by the rope tied to his hands. Sometimes a log or other weights were attached to his bound legs. At the same time, the hands of a person raised on a rack twisted back and often came out of their joints, so that the convict had to hang on twisted arms. They were on the rack from several minutes to an hour or more. This type of rack was used most often in Western Europe.
4. In Russia, a suspect raised on a rack was beaten with a whip on the back, and “applied to the fire”, that is, they drove burning brooms over the body.
5. In some cases, the executioner broke the ribs of a person hanging on a rack with red-hot tongs.
10. Paraffin in the bladder
A savage form of torture, the actual use of which has not been established.
How it works?
1. Candle paraffin was rolled out by hand into a thin sausage, which was injected through the urethra;
2. Paraffin slipped into the bladder, where it began to precipitate solid salts and other filth.
3. The victim soon developed kidney problems and died of acute kidney failure. On average, death occurred in 3-4 days.
11. Shiri (camel cap)
A monstrous fate awaited those whom the Zhuanzhuans (the union of nomadic Turkic-speaking peoples) took into their slavery. They destroyed the memory of the slave with a terrible torture - by putting Shiri on the head of the victim. Usually this fate befell young guys captured in battles.
How it works?
1. First, the slaves shaved their heads, carefully scraping out every hair under the root.
2. The executioners slaughtered the camel and skinned its carcass, first of all, separating its heaviest, densest part.
3. Having divided the neck into pieces, it was immediately pulled in pairs over the shaved heads of the prisoners. These pieces, like a plaster, stuck around the heads of slaves. This meant putting on wide.
4. After putting on the width, the neck of the doomed was shackled in a special wooden block so that the subject could not touch his head to the ground. In this form, they were taken away from crowded places so that no one would hear their heartbreaking cries, and they were thrown there in an open field, with their hands and feet tied, in the sun, without water and without food.
5. The torture lasted 5 days.
6. Only a few remained alive, and the rest died not from hunger or even from thirst, but from unbearable, inhuman torments caused by drying out, shrinking rawhide camel skin on the head. Inexorably shrinking under the rays of the scorching sun, the width squeezed, squeezing the shaved head of a slave like an iron hoop. Already on the second day, the shaved hair of the martyrs began to sprout. Coarse and straight Asian hair sometimes grew into the rawhide, in most cases, finding no way out, the hair bent and again went into the scalp with its ends, causing even greater suffering. A day later, the man lost his mind. Only on the fifth day did the Zhuanzhuans come to check whether any of the prisoners had survived. If at least one of the tortured was caught alive, it was believed that the goal was achieved. .
7. The one who was subjected to such a procedure either died, unable to withstand the torture, or lost his memory for life, turned into a mankurt - a slave who does not remember his past.
8. The skin of one camel was enough for five or six widths.
12. Implantation of metals
A very strange means of torture-execution was used in the Middle Ages.
How it works?
1. A deep incision was made on a person’s legs, where a piece of metal (iron, lead, etc.) was placed, after which the wound was sutured.
2. Over time, the metal oxidized, poisoning the body and causing terrible pain.
3. Most often, the poor fellows tore the skin in the place where the metal was sewn up and died from blood loss.
13. Dividing a person into two parts
This terrible execution originated in Thailand. The most hardened criminals were subjected to it - mostly murderers.
How it works?
1. The accused is placed in a hoodie woven from lianas, and he is stabbed with sharp objects;
2. After that, his body is quickly cut into two parts, the upper half is immediately placed on a red-hot copper grate; this operation stops the blood and prolongs the life of the upper part of the person.
A small addition: This torture is described in the book of the Marquis de Sade "Justine, or the successes of vice." This is a small excerpt from a large piece of text where de Sade allegedly describes the torture of the peoples of the world. But why supposedly? According to many critics, the Marquis was very fond of lying. He had an extraordinary imagination and a couple of manias, so this torture, like some others, could be a figment of his imagination. But the field of this is not worth referring to Donatien Alphonse as Baron Munchausen. This torture, in my opinion, if it did not exist before, is quite realistic. If, of course, a person is drugged with painkillers before this (opiates, alcohol, etc.), so that he does not die before his body touches the bars.
14. Inflation with air through the anus
A terrible torture in which a person is pumped with air through the anus.
There is evidence that in Russia even Peter the Great himself sinned with this.
Most often, thieves were executed in this way.
How it works?
1. The victim was tied hand and foot.
2. Then they took cotton and stuffed the ears, nose and mouth of the poor fellow with it.
3. Bellows were inserted into his anus, with the help of which a huge amount of air was pumped into a person, as a result of which he became like a balloon.
3. After that, I plugged his anus with a piece of cotton.
4. Then they opened two veins above his eyebrows, from which all the blood flowed under great pressure.
5. Sometimes a bound person was placed naked on the roof of the palace and shot with arrows until he died.
6. Prior to 1970, this method was often used in Jordanian prisons.
15. Polledro
The Neapolitan executioners lovingly called this torture "polledro" - "colt" (polledro) and were proud that it was first used in their native city. Although history did not preserve the name of its inventor, they said that he was an expert in horse breeding and came up with an unusual device to pacify his horses.
Only a few decades later, lovers of mocking people turned the horse breeder's device into a real torture machine for people.
The machine was a wooden frame, similar to a ladder, the crossbeams of which were very sharp corners so that when a person is put on their back, they crash into the body from the back of the head to the heels. The staircase ended with a huge wooden spoon, in which, like a cap, they put their heads.
How it works?
1. Holes were drilled on both sides of the frame and in the “bonnet”, ropes were threaded into each of them. The first of them was tightened on the forehead of the tortured, the last tied the big toes. As a rule, there were thirteen ropes, but for especially stubborn ones, the number was increased.
2. With special devices, the ropes were pulled tighter and tighter - it seemed to the victims that, having crushed the muscles, they dug into the bones.
16. Dead man's bed (modern China)
The "dead man's bed" torture is used by the Chinese Communist Party mainly on those prisoners who try to protest their illegal imprisonment through a hunger strike. In most cases, these are prisoners of conscience who went to prison for their beliefs.
How it works?
1. The hands and feet of a naked prisoner are tied to the corners of the bed, on which, instead of a mattress, there is a wooden board with a hole cut out. A bucket for excrement is placed under the hole. Often, ropes are tightly tied to the bed and the body of a person so that he cannot move at all. In this position, a person is continuously from several days to weeks.
2. In some prisons, such as Shenyang City No. 2 Prison and Jilin City Prison, the police still place a hard object under the victim's back to increase the suffering.
3. It also happens that the bed is placed vertically and for 3-4 days a person hangs, stretched by the limbs.
4. Force-feeding is added to these torments, which is carried out with the help of a tube inserted through the nose into the esophagus, into which liquid food is poured.
5. This procedure is done mainly by prisoners on the orders of the guards, and not by health workers. They do it very rudely and not professionally, often causing more serious damage to the internal organs of a person.
6. Those who have gone through this torture say that it causes displacement of the vertebrae, joints of the arms and legs, as well as numbness and blackening of the limbs, which often leads to disability.
17. Collar (Modern China)
One of the medieval tortures used in modern Chinese prisons is the wearing of a wooden collar. It is put on a prisoner, which is why he cannot walk or stand normally.
The collar is a board from 50 to 80 cm long, from 30 to 50 cm wide and 10 - 15 cm thick. There are two holes for the legs in the middle of the collar.
The shackled victim is difficult to move, must crawl into the bed, and usually must sit or lie down, as the upright position causes pain and injury to the legs. Without assistance, a person with a collar cannot go to eat or go to the toilet. When a person gets out of bed, the collar not only presses on the legs and heels, causing pain, but its edge clings to the bed and prevents the person from returning to it. At night, the prisoner is not able to turn around, and in winter, a short blanket does not cover his legs.
An even worse form of this torture is called "crawling with a wooden collar." The guards put a collar on the man and order him to crawl on the concrete floor. If he stops, he is hit on the back with a police baton. An hour later, fingers, toenails and knees bleed profusely, while the back is covered with wounds from blows.
18. Impaling
Terrible wild execution that came from the East.
The essence of this execution was that a person was placed on his stomach, one sat on him to prevent him from moving, the other held him by the neck. A person was inserted into the anus with a stake, which was then driven in with a mallet; then they drove a stake into the ground. The weight of the body forced the stake to go deeper and deeper, and finally it came out under the armpit or between the ribs.
19. Spanish water torture
In order to best perform the procedure of this torture, the accused was placed on one of the varieties of the rack or on a special large table with a rising middle part. After the victim's hands and feet were tied to the edges of the table, the executioner went to work in one of several ways. One of these methods was that the victim was forced with the help of a funnel to swallow a large number of water, then beat on the inflated and arched stomach. Another form involved placing a rag tube down the victim's throat, through which water was slowly poured in, causing the victim to bloat and suffocate. If that wasn't enough, the tube was pulled out, causing internal damage, and then reinserted and the process repeated. Sometimes cold water torture was used. In this case, the accused lay naked on the table for hours under a jet of icy water. It is interesting to note that this kind of torment was regarded as light, and confessions obtained in this way were accepted by the court as voluntary and given to the defendants without the use of torture. Most often, these tortures were used by the Spanish Inquisition in order to knock out confessions from heretics and witches.
20. Chinese water torture
The person was seated in a very cold room, they tied him so that he could not move his head, and in complete darkness cold water was dripped on his forehead very slowly. After a few days, the person froze or went crazy.
21. Spanish chair
This instrument of torture was widely used by the executioners of the Spanish Inquisition and was a chair made of iron, on which the prisoner was seated, and his legs were enclosed in stocks attached to the legs of the chair. When he was in such a completely helpless position, a brazier was placed under his feet; with hot coals, so that the legs began to slowly roast, and in order to prolong the suffering of the poor fellow, the legs were poured with oil from time to time.
Another version of the Spanish chair was also often used, which was a metal throne, to which the victim was tied and a fire was made under the seat, roasting the buttocks. The well-known poisoner La Voisin was tortured on such an armchair during the famous Poisoning Case in France.
22. Gridiron (Torture by Fire Grid)
Torture of Saint Lawrence on the gridiron.
This type of torture is often mentioned in the lives of saints - real and fictional, but there is no evidence that the gridiron "survived" until the Middle Ages and had at least little circulation in Europe. It is usually described as a simple metal grate, 6 feet long and two and a half wide, set horizontally on legs so that a fire can be built under it.
Sometimes the gridiron was made in the form of a rack in order to be able to resort to combined torture.
Saint Lawrence was martyred on a similar grid.
This torture was rarely resorted to. Firstly, it was easy enough to kill the interrogated person, and secondly, there were a lot of simpler, but no less cruel tortures.
23. Pectoral
In ancient times, a pectoral was called a breast adornment for women in the form of a pair of carved gold or silver bowls, often strewn with precious stones. It was worn like a modern bra and fastened with chains.
By a mocking analogy with this decoration, the savage instrument of torture used by the Venetian Inquisition was named.
In 1985, the pectoral was red-hot and, taking it with tongs, put it on the chest of the tortured woman and held until she confessed. If the accused persisted, the executioners heated up the pectoral, cooled by the living body again, and continued the interrogation.
Very often, after this barbaric torture, charred, torn holes remained in place of the woman's breasts.
24. Tickle Torture
This seemingly harmless influence was a terrible torture. With prolonged tickling, a person’s nerve conduction increased so much that even the lightest touch caused at first twitching, laughter, and then turned into terrible pain. If such torture was continued for a long time, then after a while spasms of the respiratory muscles arose and, in the end, the tortured person died from suffocation.
In the simplest version of torture, sensitive places were tickled by the interrogated either simply with hands or with hairbrushes and brushes. Rigid bird feathers were popular. Usually tickled under the armpits, heels, nipples, inguinal folds, genitals, women also under the breasts.
In addition, torture was often used with the use of animals that licked some tasty substance from the heels of the interrogated. A goat was often used, because its very hard tongue, adapted for eating herbs, caused very strong irritation.
There was also a form of beetle tickling, most common in India. With her, a small bug was planted on the head of the penis of a man or on the nipple of a woman and covered with half a nut shell. After some time, the tickling caused by the movement of the legs of an insect over a living body became so unbearable that the interrogated person confessed to anything.
25. Crocodile
These tubular metal tongs "Crocodile" were red-hot and used to tear the penis of the tortured. At first, with a few caressing movements (often performed by women), or with a tight bandage, they achieved a stable hard erection and then the torture began.
26. Serrated crusher
These serrated iron tongs slowly crushed the testicles of the interrogated.
Something similar was widely used in Stalinist and fascist prisons.
27. Creepy Tradition
Actually, this is not torture, but an African rite, but, in my opinion, it is very cruel. Girls from 3-6 years old without anesthesia were simply scraped out the external genitalia.
Thus, the girl did not lose the ability to have children, but was forever deprived of the opportunity to experience sexual desire and pleasure. This rite is done “for the good” of women so that they will never be tempted to cheat on their husband
28. Blood Eagle
One of the most ancient tortures, during which the victim was tied face down and his back was opened, the ribs were broken off at the spine and spread apart like wings. In Scandinavian legends, it is stated that during such an execution, salt was sprinkled on the wounds of the victim.
Many historians claim that this torture was used by pagans against Christians, others are sure that spouses convicted of treason were punished in this way, and still others claim that the bloody eagle is just a terrible legend.
Torture has been used since ancient times, and, unfortunately, it has not disappeared anywhere. There are many modern methods and tools of torture that are still used to obtain information, instill fear or punishment. Although medieval and ancient methods of torture are known for their brutality, modern methods are just as fearsome.
1. Water dungeon
This method is allegedly used against Falun Da Fa practitioners in China. As punishment, the victim is placed in a cage (sometimes with spikes), and then the cage is partially submerged dirty water, which reaches the prisoner's neck.
2. Cold chamber
http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/206909/310023662.6a71/0_88023b_d1e9512a_orig
This is one of the advanced interrogation techniques that has been legalized by the CIA. The torture consists in the fact that the victim is put in front of the air conditioner, which runs at full power, for several hours, or even years.
3. Pillory
This is a classic medieval method of punishment, in which a person was chained to a post with a collar and shackles. Although this method has been banned in most countries, it is still used in some areas of the world as a form of public humiliation.
4. Picana
This is a device with which the victim is tortured with high-voltage, but low electric current. The stun gun is applied to sensitive parts of the victim's body, such as the head, mouth, genitals, chest, and nipples.
5. Squatting
It seems like a harmless method, but imagine having to squat continuously for weeks at a time. Sometimes nails are placed under the victim's heels, and the person still has to keep the heels off the floor.
6. Taser
Although they are used by police all over the world, several international organizations consider them a form of torture.
7. Rack
This method was used quite often during the Renaissance, but in modern times it has become known as the Palestinian hanging. The captive is hung by the arms behind the head, which causes the arms to dislocate and makes it incredibly difficult for the victim to breathe.
8. White torture
This is possibly one of the most unusual shapes torture, which involves the use white color.
The prisoner is placed in a completely white and silent room, given white food (rice) and deprived of any human contact. In fact, this is an extreme form of sensory derivation, in which all senses are turned off.
9. Tucker's phone
This device was used at the Arkansas Tucker State Penitentiary in the 60s. The wire was attached to the victim's genitals, and the other end to the telephone. When the phone rang, the person received an electric shock.
10. Syrian box
It is also called the torture chamber. The idea itself is simple and truly terrifying. The prisoner is placed in a cramped box with barely enough space, where he lies bound in an uncomfortable position for many days in a row.
11. Musical torture
It seems strange, but many governments have used music as a form of torture.
The torture is that the victim is continuously played loud and aggressive music, most often hard rock. This deals a severe blow to the senses without leaving any visible marks.
12. Buried alive
Everything is very clear here. The captives are buried alive in the ground, sometimes leaving a tube for breathing.
13. Infernal Conclusion
This method, in essence, consists in the fact that the hands and feet of the prisoner are placed in handcuffs and shackles connected by a steel rod. The rod puts pressure on the victim's back, making it almost impossible for the person to walk, sit, urinate, or eat.
14. Nine-tailed cat
Although the Court of Human Rights tried to ban the use of the whip in Trinidad and Tobago, it is still occasionally used as a punishment.
The whip is a nine-tailed whip with metal claws at the end. When they dig into the skin during the spanking, they inflict lacerations on the victim.
15. Thumb vice
This tool, which was used in the Middle Ages, was used to crush the fingers of a prisoner. There are reports that various gangs and insurgent groups still use this method.
16. Nail pulling
Nail pulling is a very painful torture that has been used since ancient times and to this day by state and non-state organizations.
17 Dog Rape
Allegations of the use of this method of torture began to appear more and more often around the world. This method leaves no room for imagination, and its name speaks for itself. Dogs are released to the victim, but then you should not go into details.
18. Tiger bench
http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/510105/310023662.6a71/0_88024a_15ba3395_orig
The torture consists in the fact that the victim is tied to a board, and bricks are placed under his feet until the straps break or the legs break.
19. Force feeding
Quite often, captives who go on a hunger strike are force-fed to keep them alive and torture them further. The World Medical Association considers it unethical for doctors to be involved in force-feeding, as it violates international law.
20. Water torture
This is another interrogation technique that needs no introduction. Water is poured over the captive's face to simulate the sensation of drowning.
21. Branding
Another instrument of torture that has been used since ancient times.
22. German chair
http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/767483/310023662.6a71/0_88024d_61a378fa_orig
The prisoner is tied with straps to a chair, and the back of the chair is lowered down to the ground. As you can understand, the human spine cannot withstand such a load.
23. Sleep deprivation
Sleep deprivation was often used during interrogations. Human different ways tried to deprive him of sleep, for example, by constantly interrogating him or forcing him to sit for days and not allowing him to sleep.
24. Deathbed
This method was used in some areas of Asia, when captives were tied to a board and left alone for several days without a break. This usually led to muscle atrophy and the victims came out severely weakened.
US Air Force pilots are said to have undergone mass training after the Korean War, during which they were trained to counter the psychological impact of the enemy. They also say that psychological torture is much more effective than bodily torture: the human psyche recovers for a long time after such an impact ... They also say that the CIA has developed a whole system of "non-corporeal influence." Here are just a few examples from the Torture Report.
The US Senate Intelligence Committee published an abridged version of its study on the use of torture by the CIA in 2014. The document released to the public contains 528 pages describing the CIA's "enhanced interrogation techniques".
Methods of psychological and physical influence on prisoners were developed by psychologists who previously collaborated with the US Air Force School of Emergency Survival.
According to the Center for Human Rights Research in North and South America, psychological torture must meet the following four criteria:
1. Suffering;
2. Punishment;
3. Duration;
4. Absence of direct physical violence.
Lack of sleep
Sleep deprivation is a type of torture where a prisoner is deprived of sleep for a long time. Sleep is vital importance for people and animals. It is not yet clear how long a person can stay awake. The current record is held by Randy Gardner, who stayed awake for 264.4 hours without the use of stimulants.
Sleep-depriving methods include loud explosive music, bright strobe lights, and placing a person on the steps of a pedestal from which, as they fall, they receive electrical discharge... After a certain period of time without sleep, hallucinations begin. If the lack of sleep becomes constant for several months, it leads to mental illness.
Other, milder, effects may include a worsening of the emotional state. David Dinges, professor of psychology and director of the Department of Experimental Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, states that "when a person is deprived of sleep, he stops experiencing positive emotions. He may claim to be happy - but he actually does not experience anything."
Ostracism
Public shaming is a form of psychological torture that has its roots in the Middle Ages. Remember the expression "pillory"? Here we are: the first mention of this beautiful device dates back to 1274. So this torture has a long history.
A pillory with holes for the head and hands of a person was installed in the most crowded place: on the market square or near the town hall. This made it possible to humiliate the guilty person, scold him, throw stones at him, and sometimes even beat him.
An interesting incident occurred in 1703, when Daniel Defoe was sentenced to the pillory for slander. However, public opinion of him as a hero was so high that he was pelted with flowers rather than dirt or excrement.
At a time when Saddam Hussein was still in power, one of the most famous prisons in the world was Abu Ghraib. After Hussein was overthrown, the US military prison was located there. It turned out that the US Army officers mocked the captured Iraqis. A nationwide scandal erupted and eleven soldiers were convicted of crimes.
One of the types of torture used in Abu Ghraib was forced nudity. Male prisoners were forcibly undressed and forced to stand in front of others in what their mother gave birth to.
In Arab culture, nudity and being exposed in front of others is humiliating for men.
Insulation
One of the favorite methods of psychological pressure is the long-term isolation of the prisoner. A former prisoner, Ghairat Bahir, recalled:
- If you don't cooperate, they close you in a box as long as a coffin, where there is no oxygen. No light. You feel like you've been buried alive.
Isolation, or solitary confinement, is used in some US prisons.
What are the consequences of such a conclusion for a person? In the infamous "pit of despair" experiment on macaques conducted in the 1950s, psychologist Harry Harlow found that within a day or two the animals "become deeply restless, listless, or anxious. Wander around the cage, maiming themselves, or swaying wildly from side to side." side without responding.
Sound
Sound torture is used to influence prisoners with loud music or white noise. Compared to physical torture, so-called "no-touch" torture could be considered more humane, but it is no less effective.
Like the pillory, sound torture has a long history - let's just say we know the Aztec form of torture called the death whistle.
The CIA playlist often contains singles such as Metallica's Enter Sandman, Rage Against the Machine's hit Killing in the Name Of, or even Deicide and their unforgettable F*ck Your God. And the most popular song in Guantanamo? - "I love you" from Barney.
Rudyard Kipling's "Steps" are constantly played in the school of survival in difficult conditions.
Sgt. Mark Hadsell of Psychic Ops says that if a person has never listened to heavy metal, they can't stand around the clock with this music - "the brain and body begin to lose their functions. The train of thought slows down and the will is broken."
Drug manipulation
The use of drugs, especially hallucinogens, was often used in psychological torture. In an infamous program called Project MK-ULTRA, the CIA experimented with mind control. These experiments contained drugs to "weaken the will of the individual through the control of mental operations."
MK means that the project was organized for the technical services of the CIA, while "Ultra" is usually used to denote classified intelligence data from the Second World War.
The most common drug is LSD, although the agency has also experimented with developing truth sera. The CIA's own website gives an account of the types of drugs used to establish the truth: various sera, including scopolamine and various barbiturates.
- There is no such magic tool as in the movies. Barbiturates, by lowering the defense mechanisms, can sometimes be useful during interrogation, but even in the best cases they will cause illusions, fantasies, distorted speech, etc.
fake death
Do you remember how the great Russian writer Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky described his experiences when he was awaiting the death penalty, which at the last moment was replaced by exile? This experience changed his whole life...
Until now, this type of psychological influence is considered one of the most effective and is widely used in practice in the most different countries. From staging execution and hanging to partial "suffocation" or "drowning".
Another form is the "waiting" of death - being on the so-called "list of those sentenced to death". It is said that the consequences are irreversible - prisoners become suicidal or acquire all sorts of manias.
extreme temperatures
The use of extreme temperatures is one of the "enhanced interrogation" options used by the CIA and the FBI. Even though this torture involves physical abuse, it is considered psychological because it has a mental impact.
Lowering the temperature is also used for sleep deprivation. However, hypothermia is a common side effect, and this form of torture has a high mortality rate of up to 50%. A decrease in temperature can affect memory - prisoners suffer from amnesia. Using extremely high temperatures can lead to heat stroke. Even when the necessary conditions are met, heat stroke is usually fatal, so this form of torture can no longer be regarded as purely psychological.
Fear
The use of fears and phobias in relation to prisoners can be effective, but not always feasible. Placing arachnophobes in the same cell as spiders is one form of this kind of torture. It assumes intimate knowledge of the victim, so it is unlikely to be used in an "official" setting.
Military psychologists interrogated detainees at Guantanamo Bay to understand which phobias were used: phobias of nudity, phobias of enclosed space, phobias of darkness...
Tactile deprivation
Sensory deprivation is an extreme form of psychological torture. This means that you cannot hear, see or touch anything. Imagine yourself trapped in a soundproof chamber.
Microsoft has one - they test equipment there. The noise level inside is a record -20.35 decibels. Making the camera even quieter, says Microsoft, is impossible because of the moving air particles that collide with each other. Talking inside a room completely isolated from outside noise is very difficult, it feels like you are screaming into a pillow. Microsoft uses the audio lab to improve its own products. For example, it can enhance the “hearing” of a voice assistant when a user accesses a Windows device from the other side of the room, and it can teach tablets and laptops to perceive subtle signals.
In the case of psychological torture, things do not look so nice. José Padilla was found guilty of aiding and abetting terrorists in 2007. In prison, he was subjected to sensory deprivation for several weeks. For 3.5 years he was kept in a cell without natural light, there was no clock or calendar. According to Padilla's lawyer, he was so "broken" that he became convinced that his lawyers were part of a torture program and saw his guards as protectors, and this is already called Stockholm syndrome.
Drowning
We now move on to more specific forms of torture. "Drowning" looks like this: a person is tied to a board, water is poured on his face to simulate being under water.
Physical effects include severe pain, damage to the lungs and brain from oxygen deprivation. While drowning is mostly a physical form of torture, the psychological effects can last for years.
The Bush administration authorized this form of torture after the events of September 2001. The Department of Justice authorized the CIA to work with water under "enhanced interrogation". After a scandal in 2004, the state stopped the "program". Finally, in 2006, the Bush administration banned torture, including water torture, on detainees. Currently, President-elect Donald Trump wants return "drowning" as one of the permitted forms of torture.
Chinese water torture
Chinese water torture is less extreme than drowning, although just as effective. The prisoner is tied up and water is dripped on his forehead. Despite the fact that no one could confirm that torture was born in China, this name has clearly taken root. Hippolyte de Marsilius is considered the inventor of this torture: so we know for sure that the Spanish Inquisition already used this method against not very faithful subjects.
KUBARK: manual on torture
In 1963, the CIA issued the KUBARK Counterintelligence Interrogation for use during the Vietnam War. Includes specialized forms of interrogation such as electric shock, threat/fear, sensory deprivation, and isolation.
The second manual for advanced interrogation was the Human Resource Exploitation Training Manual, expanded and supplemented, for intelligence agencies in Latin America.
The guide gives clear instructions. For example, it recommends arresting suspects early in the morning, unexpectedly, blindfolding the criminals, depriving them of their clothes. Suspects must also be deprived of food and sleep. Interrogation chambers must be sound and light proof.
The manual states that some methods of torture may have backfire, and the anticipation of pain can be more effective than the pain itself. The manuals were declassified and released to the public in May 2004 and can be found online.
Decay, disorientation, disorganization, demoralization
The method, called in German Zersetzung (decomposition, disorientation, disorganization, demoralization), was perfected by the Stasi in East Germany, which used it extensively against dissidents in the 1970s and 1980s.
According to former Stasi officers, the goal was to "turn off" dissidents by disrupting their social, personal or family life. The victim was ostracized, followed, she developed paranoid mania and other psychoses...
The method of psychological decomposition included removing paintings from the walls in the absence of the owners of the apartment, replacing one type of tea with another, or something else. Usually the victims didn't know it was a set up.
Other Zersetzung methods included espionage, opening letters and wiretapping, trespassing on private property in a threatening manner, manipulating machines, food poisoning, and "false medicines."
Propaganda
Perhaps the most subtle and insidious of all methods of "additional influence" was and remains propaganda. It can be seen as a form of psychological torture. The beginning of modern "psychological attacks" was laid in the First World War. In the beginning, countries such as Great Britain and Germany began to use propaganda as one of the effective weapons. At the time, the British had one of the world's most respected news systems - and controlled most of the media.
Examples of British propaganda included the creation of pamphlets that were distributed from aircraft on the battlefields. The pamphlets contained information about various atrocities - both real and fake - allegedly committed by the German army against civilians. With drawings and cartoons.
The Germans were able to successfully use propaganda to force the Sultan Ottoman Empire declare jihad, or "holy war" against the West. By the start of World War II, Adolf Hitler had adopted British propaganda methods and used them to influence the minds of the German people.
