Police Force: All Police Units Will Soon Be Equipped with Electric Shock Weapons

The deputy commander of the police force states that equipping the police with "electric shock weapons" is essential and will soon be implemented "across all police units." Qasem Rezaei, in an interview with the IRNA news agency on Thursday, October 11, cited "reducing the use of military weapons when confronting criminals and disruptors of security" as one of the reasons for the necessity of equipping the police with "electric shock weapons." This police commander did not differentiate between "stun guns" and "electric shock weapons" and only used the term "electric shock weapon." Meanwhile, numerous reports have emerged in recent years about the police and riot control units using "stun guns," especially during the suppression of protests. Both stun guns and electric shock weapons are tools used to create a type of electric shock to temporarily incapacitate individuals, but they have significant differences. A stun gun is a small electric device that creates an electric shock upon direct contact with a person's body. When using a stun gun, it is applied directly to the person's body, which is why stun guns are typically used at close range. The electric shock caused by a stun gun results in temporary incapacitation and reduced mobility, which is usually short-term. Stun guns are commonly used by police and even some individuals for personal defense. An electric shock weapon, or Taser, is an electric device that fires two electrodes at a person, delivering an electric shock from a distance. The Taser can shoot electrodes up to five to ten meters away. These electrodes stick to the person's body and transmit electrical current. The effect of the electric shock weapon or Taser can last for several minutes, completely incapacitating the individual, thus facilitating their arrest by police and security forces. Generally, Tasers are used more by police to control aggressive individuals or those who resist arrest. Some prominent figures and protesters have repeatedly confirmed that security agents of the Islamic Republic use stun guns, including during the arrest of women. Nasrin Sotoudeh, a lawyer and imprisoned human rights activist, reported last November that agents dragged her and Ms. Pourzarabi, mothers seeking justice for the victims of the Ukrainian plane crash, "on the ground" and before putting them into a van, they used a "stun gun" on her leg. Amnesty International also referenced the use of stun guns by Iranian agents during arrests in a report published last May, citing testimonies from some women regarding the timing and manner of their arrests. Additionally, some protesters who have been arrested and imprisoned in recent years have mentioned the use of stun guns by government agents as a torture tool during interrogations. The deputy commander of the police force made no mention of this issue and stated that equipment such as "electric shock weapons" is very effective in crime scene management and can strengthen the police in confronting criminals, especially "thugs." Media and officials of the Islamic Republic have repeatedly referred to protesters as "thugs" in recent years.