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News > U.S.

UN Calls to Raise Global Awareness Against Torture

  • A banner reading 'Human Rights' during a protest in Berlin, Germany, June 14, 2020.

    A banner reading 'Human Rights' during a protest in Berlin, Germany, June 14, 2020. | Photo: EFE

Published 26 June 2020
Opinion

The victims of torture have been left with permanent physical and psychological injuries.

The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Friday warned that many countries use torture as a form of punishment, even though international law prohibits such abuse under any circumstances.

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This alert was issued to raise awareness in the occasion of the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, which is celebrated on June 26.

"Activists and victims around the globe are joining together today to denounce this abhorrent denial of human dignity," Guterres said, adding that "Torturers must never go unpunished." 

Very often, torture has been accompanied by impunity and its victims have been left with permanent physical and psychological injuries.

Many governments allow torture under the pretext of protecting national security and their borders, even though its practice represents a crime against humanity.

"As the world continues to struggle with the pandemic, it is more important than ever to absolutely prohibit torture and other forms of ill-treatment," said Mykola Gnatovskyy, the president of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

The International Day in Support of Victims of Torture was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on Dec. 12, 1997.

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