Victims of torture must be given a voice to restore their dignity, OSCE human rights head says

WARSAW, 26 June 2019 – Eradicating all forms of torture and putting survivors’ rights at the centre of focus must become a priority of countries across the OSCE region, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said on today’s International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.

“Torture destroys the dignity of the individual, leaving many with a sense of guilt and social isolation that remains throughout their lifetime,” said ODIHR Director Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir. “But far too often, perpetrators are not held accountable and victims of torture remain unacknowledged. In giving survivors of torture a voice and ensuring their access to redress and full rehabilitation, we go a step towards restoring their dignity.”

More than 70 years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in blatant violation of international practice, many states still resort to torture as a measure to combat terrorism and other crimes.

“Too many countries are paying lip service to the prohibition of torture, while practising it themselves,” said Gísladóttir. “A system of fear, intimidation and repression has no place in a democratic society, and torture or any other form of ill-treatment can therefore never be considered collateral damage or a necessary evil.  They are and remain quite simply a violation of human rights.”

ODIHR works closely with its partners to strengthen efforts in eradicating torture and ill-treatment. To this end, ODIHR has co-operated over the past year with countries from across the OSCE region as well as with international and regional institutions and civil society organizations, including support for independent monitoring in prisons and other places of detention. The Guidance Document on the Nelson Mandela Rules: Implementing the United Nations Revised Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners , published by ODIHR together with Penal Reform International, and the UNCAT Implementation Tool on Providing Rehabilitation to Victims of Torture and other Ill-Treatment, drafted in co-operation with the Convention against Torture Initiative, are practical tools to support the fight against torture and ill-treatment.