UN Day for Victims of Torture: No more time for indifference on torture!
Geneva, Tunis, Brussels, 25 June 2015 - On the eve of the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture the principal global civil society coalition against torture recalls the plight of thousands of victims of torture across the world. It is time for a new commitment to eradicate such practice once and for all.
"Torture continues to be one of the darkest realities of our times. It is a horrific and gruesome practice happening around the world, typically clouded in secrecy and matched with impunity', said the OMCT Secretary General on the occasion of the UN Day for Victims of Torture.
Torture breaks the individuals it is inflicted upon leaving traces for the rest of their lives and very often destroys the very fabric of societies. It corrupts our institutions and legal systems if we leave it - as so often - unaddressed. Ultimately, societies that accept torture will pay a high price in the longer term. Torture is used today for many purposes and justified with fighting terrorism, organized crime, delinquency or protecting democratic principles or stimulating economic growth. It can be political or non-political and occurs in situations of repression but also in democracies. It is troubling to see in our global work that torture hits typically those population groups who are often forgotten such as the socially vulnerable, marginalized and minority or indigenous populations as well as criminal suspects.
The OMCT provides through its global victims fund support for legal, social and medical rehabilitation across the globe and advocates for effective remedies and reparation for those who were subjected to torture. In light of the many crisis around the world there is a dramatic mismatch between the needs for support and the resources available.
"We have no shortage of international legal standards. But we need to do much more to translate them into practice so that torture is effectively prevented and not only prohibited on paper. Those who become victims to such treatments should be able to access real remedies and get the assistance they need', said Gerald Staberock.
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