speaker installed inside the cell issued sounds of cries, car horns and other noises at an extremely high volume. The victim, who was naked, remained in the cell for periods that varied from hours to days, often without food or water. 230 14. Pau de arara (“Parrot’s perch”): one of the best-known and most used methods, widely applied as a symbolic example of the practice of torture. The victim was suspended from a rod of wood or metal with his arms and feet bound. In this position, other methods of torture were applied, such as near-drowning, beating, sexual abuse and electric shocks; 231 15. Use of animals: political prisoners were confronted by the most varied types of animals, including dogs, rats, caimans, snakes and beetles, that were thrown at the victim or even introduced into part of his body; 232 16. Christ’s crown: a steel band around the head, with a pin/spike allowing it to be tightened; 233 17. “Churrasquinho” (Barbecue): this consisted in setting parts of the victim’s body on fire after soaking them with alcohol; 234 18. Other forms of torture: these were carried out alone or together and included, burning some part of the body with cigarettes; using pliers to pull out bodily hair (especially pubic hairs), teeth and/or nails; obliging a thirsty victim to drink brine; introducing steel sponges or wool in the anus and then applying electric shocks; tying a nylon thread between the testicles and the toes and obliging the victim to walk; flogging; tying victims to the bars on the cell windows; tying a victim to a boat and dragging him through the water; tying up the penis so the victim could not urinate; suffocation; making victims drink water from the lavatory; whipping, spitting on, keeping in isolation in dirty, damp, cold and unlit cells; using a hammer on a victim’s fingers; burying alive; forcing the victim to carry out physical exercises; strangulation; Russian roulette, cutting off ears, mutilation and the most common of all, beatings; 235 b) Psychological torture: intimidation, extreme and credible threats to the physical integrity and life of the victim or of third parties, and humiliation: 236 1. Physical-mental torture: placing the detainee in a straitjacket; obliging him to remain for hours handcuffed or tied to a bed or stretcher; keeping him for many days with his eyes covered or with a hood on his head; keeping the detainee without food, drink or sleep; keeping the victim in solitary confinement, and turning bright lights on the victim; 237 2. Threats: these were used to frighten victims and were the most frequent form of psychological torture. The threats included: making the victim or a 230 Cf. Report of the National Truth Commission, p. 372 (evidence file, folio 902) 231 Cf. Report of the National Truth Commission, p. 372 (evidence file, folio 902). In the case of the mice, they were very destructive when introduced into the bodies of the victims because “this animal is unable to move backwards.” Report of the National Truth Commission, pp. 373 and 374 (evidence file, folios 903 and 904). 232 Aurora Maria Nascimento Furtado was killed in this way. Report of the National Truth Commission, p. 374 (evidence file, folio 904). 233 234 Cf. Report of the National Truth Commission, p. 374 (evidence file, folio 904). 235 Cf. Report of the National Truth Commission, p. 375 (evidence file, folio 905). 236 Cf. Report of the National Truth Commission, p. 375 (evidence file, folio 905). Other examples of these techniques are isolation, absolute prohibition to communicate with anyone, and sleep deprivation. Report of the National Truth Commission, p. 375 (evidence file, folio 905). 237 59