Istanbul Protocol
UNHCR -2001, 2004, 2022 United Nations
Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
In 2001, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published the first edition of the Istanbul Protocol, which was subsequently updated in 2004. It has since been used in medico-legal and other contexts worldwide as a valuable practical tool to effectively guide the investigation and documentation of torture and ill-treatment, protection of victims and advocacy work of civil society on behalf of victims.
This new 2022 edition is based on relevant provisions of international law, it provides even more concrete, clearly defined and well-understood guidelines to assist Member States, national human rights institutions, national preventive mechanisms, civil society, legal and health professionals and other relevant experts in implementing the Istanbul Protocol standards.
Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 19 of the Convention pursuant to the optional reporting procedure, Eighth periodic report of States parties due in 2016 : Norway
“The report deals with the changes in legislation and legal and administrative practice relating to the individual material provisions of the Convention that have been made since the Government of Norway submitted its combined sixth and seventh report (CAT/C/NOR/Q/7), with a reference to the list of issues adopted by the Committee at its 52nd session (CAT/C/NOR/QPR8), in accordance with the new optional reporting procedures established by the Committee at its 38th session.”
It’s Torture Not Therapy | A global overview of conversion therapy: practices, perpetrators, and the role of states
The objective of this report is to compile information on the practices, practitioners and roles of states in conducting, supporting, promoting and acquiescing in conversion therapy. This research is intended to provide a framework for examining the practice of conversion therapy through the lens of state obligations to prevent and prosecute torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment (also ill-treatment) and to provide redress to victims.
Despite this growing trend, little information is readily available on the global breadth and scope of conversion therapy, which often occurs in the private sphere and represents a set of diverse acts from psychotherapy to ‘corrective’ violence. To our knowledge, the August 2019 report of OutRight Action International is the first comprehensive global report, based on 489 surveys across 80 countries, and convincingly establishes the existence of conversion therapy as a worldwide problem.
https://irct.org/uploads/media/IRCT_research_on_conversion_therapy.pdf
Torture Journal with a special section on Sleep Deprivation.
The latest issue of the Torture Journal examines sleep deprivation as a method of torture and presents the text of a Protocol on Medico-Legal Documentation of Sleep Deprivation. Finally, this issue also comprises an epidemiological study on knowledge of torture among medical professionals in Tanzania, a case report exemplifying narratives of Tamil survivors of sexual torture in Australia, and a debate on the standing of the Istanbul Protocol in Israel.
Deprivation and Despair: The Crisis of Medical Care at Guantánamo
A new report by the Center for Victims of Torture and Physicians for Human Rights reveals that the experiences of detainees and independent civilian medical experts with medical care at the Guantánamo Bay detention center not only broadly refute the claim that detainees receive care equivalent to that of U.S. service members, but also evidence specific violations of the Nelson Mandela Rules, the universally recognized UN standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners, which the United States has championed. Guantánamo should be closed. Unless and until that happens, the Center for Victims of Torture and Physicians for Human Rights call upon Congress, the executive branch, and the courts to adopt a series of recommendations aimed at meaningfully improving the status quo.
Torture: Journal on Rehabilitation of Torture Victims and Prevention of Torture
Torture Journal examines the impact of forensic documentation of torture in diverse settings around the world and identifies innovative rehabilitation approaches. Fresh research and perspectives on sport-based rehabilitation, as well as other key topics, also comprise the issue.
Torture of migrants: ‘Many are not aware of how bad it really is’
Human trafficking between Africa and Europe has not only thrived in recent years, it has grown into a highly abusive system involving corrupt elites and political networks. Jan Philipp-Scholz, the author of a new book on the migration business, has spoken with migrants in Africa on nearly every step of their journey. Their testimonies reveal the extent of abuse and human rights violations happening on Europe’s doorstep.
Shedding light on a dark practice
This book is primarily intended for health and legal professionals who work with or are likely to come into contact with torture survivors, but anyone with an interest in the question of torture will find useful insights. These short articles provide an array of illuminating and readable perspectives on different aspects of a complicated subject. Together they comprise an excellent introduction to the many challenges and opportunities associated with the task of establishing medical evidence in cases of alleged torture.
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Article 14)
Each State party shall ensure to victims of torture an enforceable right to fair and adequate compensation (article 14).
Sexual Violence Against Men and Boys
As the civil war in Syria further deteriorates, accounts of systematic human rights abuses continue to emerge, including torture, starvation, and widespread sexual violence against civilians and combatants. More than five million refugees have fled to neighbouring countries in search of safety, yet they continue to face challenges of poverty, discrimination, as well as sexual violence and exploitation. Some attention has been given to women and girls who have suffered sexual violence in Syria and in displacement; however, less is known about male survivors, including ways to meet their needs.