UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations (UN) General Assembly proclaimed 26 June as the UN World Day in Support of Victims of Torture, with a view to the total elimination of torture and the effective functioning of the Convention against Extreme Torture, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
June 26 is an opportunity for the UN member states to call on all stakeholders, individuals everywhere, and civil society to unite in support of the hundreds of thousands of people around the globe who have been victims of torture and are still tortured today.
Torture is a crime under international law. According to all relevant instruments, it is prohibited and can’t be justified. This prohibition forms part of customary international law, which means it is binding on every member of the international community, regardless of whether a State has ratified global treaties in which torture is expressly prohibited. The systematic and widespread practice of extreme torture constitutes a crime against humanity.
UN Secretary-General said Torturers must never be allowed to get away with their crimes, and systems that enable torture should be dismantled or transformed.
