Freedom from Fear, Preventing Torture
Freedom from Fear, Preventing Torture
No hiding place for torture
Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, like slavery and genocide, are always wrong and are banned absolutely under international law.
Government responses to the attacks of 11 September 2001, and attacks in other countries since then, have amounted to a serious assault on the framework of human rights. They have not only used torture, they have sought to justify it in the name of security.
Detainees have been subjected to secret detention, enforced disappearance and indefinite detention without charge or trial. They have been transferred from one state to another without due process and have been sent to countries where they have faced torture. Such practices and lack of accountability have facilitated the spread and acceptance of torture.
Governments must condemn and prevent torture and other ill-treatment and hold to account those responsible.
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Amnesty International
In its Annual Report 2008, 60 years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted unanimously at the United Nations, Amnesty International documented torture in at least 81 countries. The organization has documented torture for decades, but governments’ actions in recent years have challenged the validity of the prohibition itself, particularly in the context of counter terrorism. In June 2008, Amnesty International will seek to reverse this trend.
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Living the principles of the Universal Declaration
Here are a few profiles of people who uphold the principles of the Universal Declaration through their work on in freedom from fear and preventing torture. If you have a story about freedom from fear from your community, please share it with us here.
