Pharmacological torture

Pharmacological torture is the enforced application of psychotropic or other drugs for the purposes of punishing, yielding information or causing profound mental destruction, anxiety and psychological disturbances, pain, immobilization or disorientation. Morphine is administered to prisoners until they are addicted. Once they are addicted the drugs are stopped and interrogation begins at the onset of withdrawal symptoms. If they give enough information they are given another fix. Ether or other pain causing chemical are injected. Victims are given a slow acting poison like thallium and then released so they die sometime after they leave the prison. Psychopharmacological drugs are used to blunt senses or as psychotropics, including hallucinogens. Neuromuscular blocking agents (curare compounds) are abused to paralyse fully-awake subjects, causing total panic because they are unable to breath. The victims are not offered oxygen until the point of suffocation. Victims have been given insulin shock therapy as a form of punishment.

Neuropharmacological torture has been reported in the following countries: (Africa) South Africa, Zaire; (America) Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Uruguay; (Asia) Iraq, Israel.