Brazilian Police Still Using Torture

Ten years after a military dictatorship ceded power to civilian rule, police still use torture techniques used during that period, according to a report published Sunday.

The report comes as the Congress considers a bill to provide compensation to the families of 136 dissidents who disappeared during the 1964-85 dictatorship. Congress has 45 days to vote on the bill, which was signed by President Fernando Henrique Cardoso and sent to Congress last week.

An unnamed policeman told the Jornal do Brasil newspaper that police regularly use torture, particularly electric shocks, to force confessions and get leads in cases.