26 June marks the International Day in Support of the Victims of Torture to remind that torture is a physically and mentally degrading treatment, which violates the dignity of hundreds of people every year and is still persisting. Legally spoken, next to war crimes, genocide and other cruel inhuman treatment, also the systematic and widespread practice of torture is considered a crime against humanity. It is prohibited by international law and cannot be justified under any circumstances.
To be able to overcome the horror and walk the life-affirming path towards healing, survivors of torture must not be left behind and provided with prompt and specific programs. Also, help must be offered to seek justice, if one is the victim itself or a family member is affected. Additionally, survivors must be provided with psychological support. Numerous aid organisations offer assistance to people affected, among those also the United Nations (UN) Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture, which gives support grants to civil society organization worldwide for medical, psychological, legal, social and other assistance. According to the UN, it assists with rehabilitation, reparation, empowerment and access to remedies for nearly 50,000 torture survivors each year.
Back in 1987, the United Nations founded the Committee against Torture (CAT), a body of human rights experts, that monitors the implementation of the joint Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment by state parties who have signed and ratified the international human rights document. On the International Day in Support of the Victims of Torture, UN Secretary-General António Guterres calls out: “On this International Day, let us honour the victims of torture and commit to work to achieve a world where such abuse cannot happen.”
To read more, please visit:
https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/06/1067072
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CAT/Pages/CATIntro.aspx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=61&v=_mSRXc8QezA&feature=emb_logo
Author: Theresa Bender-Säbelkampf
