International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is celebrated on 26 June.

Commemoration date announced in 1997 UN General Assembly on the recommendation of the Economic and Social Council.

this day in 1987 Convention Against Torture enters into force and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1984).

The purpose of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is to abolish torture and ensure the effective functioning of the Convention Against Torture.

According to the Convention, “torture” means the deliberate infliction of severe physical or mental pain or suffering on a person in order to obtain information or a confession from himself or a third party, or to punish him for such an act. When subjected to such pain or suffering by a public official or another person, in an official capacity or with their encouragement or knowledge of him or a third party, to intimidate or coerce himself or a third party, or for any reason of a discriminatory nature or with their tacit consent. This definition does not include the pain or suffering that arises solely as a result of legal sanctions, inseparable from or accidentally caused by them.

Torture is a crime according to the principles of international law. Torture is strictly prohibited in all relevant documents and cannot be justified under any circumstances. This prohibition is binding on all members of the international community, regardless of whether the state has ratified international treaties expressly prohibiting the practice of torture.

The legal framework regulating the fight against torture in the world includes many international documents.

In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, the international community condemned torture and other cruel or degrading treatment or punishment. The Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners were followed in 1955. In 1975 the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and in 1979 the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials. The UN is also accepted Convention Against Torture (1984), Basic Principles Concerning the Treatment of Prisoners (1990), Principles Concerning the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Istanbul Protocol, 1999) and other documents.

Survivors of torture around the world experience its lasting effects. Convention Against Torture envisagedVictims of torture have the right to just and adequate compensation, including full means of rehabilitation. United Nations Volunteer Fund for Torture VictimsFounded in 1981, it helps these people and their families return to normal life, provides them with legal protection, and sends funds to non-governmental organizations around the world that provide legal, social, psychological, medical and other services.

Foundation since 1981 chosen More than $180 million in grants to more than 630 organizations worldwide.

Control over the practices of states parties to the Convention against Torture, Committee Against TortureIt consists of 10 independent experts.

The Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment began its work in February 2007 and has become a new type of treaty body in the UN human rights system. HE It has a preventive functionIt is based on an innovative approach to the prevention of torture and ill-treatment.

In 1985, in resolution 1985/33, the UN Commission on Human Rights decided to appoint a Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Its mandate covers all countries, regardless of their ratification of the convention against torture.

From 1 November 2016 Special Rapporteur Prof. Niels Melzer (Switzerland). In March 2020, his term was extended by three years.

By statement Meltzer (July 2021), the vast majority of those responsible for torture and ill-treatment committed at their own instigation, with their knowledge or tacit consent, are not held responsible. Many national legal systems do not guarantee the punishment of perpetrators, and some jurisdictions even prohibit it.

in the latest report (December 2021) Meltzer noted that 90% of individual communications and 85% of country visit requests received no or insufficient response. This trend has not changed since the mandate of the Special Rapporteur was established in 1985.

According to the report of the UN Committee against Torture, from 1989 to April 2021 1068 complaints Of these, 334 were closed for 42 participating countries and 117 were declared inadmissible. The Committee took final decisions on the merits of 398 complaints, of which it found violations of the Convention in 158, and 219 complaints were considered.

HORSE International Day of Support for Victims of Torture Various events are traditionally held – conferences, seminars, rallies.

The material has been prepared on the basis of information from open sources.