Module 1: International Legal Standards (Overview)

Individuals who have recently been released from detention or prison might seek medical and legal advice concerning their treatment while in custody. This could, in some circumstances, be their first opportunity to detail fully their conditions of detention and any ill-treatment they may have undergone. The continuing physical and mental effects of ill-treatment may also lead recently released detainees to seek medical treatment. The initial concern of the individual seeking medical care might be to recieve treatment, rather than the actual allegation of torture, but good contemporaneous notes will help if he or she wants these effects to be documented in due course. The person giving advice or treatmentshould inquire sensitively into the possibility of ill-treatment, and advise on avenues of further action (see The Torture Reporting Handbook, section 8.2).

Individuals who have recently been released from detention or prison might seek medical and legal advice concerning their treatment while in custody. This could, in some circumstances, be their first opportunity to detail fully their conditions of detention and any … Continue reading →

Non-governmental human rights organizations, including medical organizations, or any other body engaged in monitoring and advocacy, may uncover evidence of torture and other ill-treatment during their work. Through a combination of meticulous research including field-work, interviews with survivors and families, meetings with public officials, information from the media, and cooperation between organizations, it may be possible to identify a pattern of human rights abuses that may not have been evident when viewing each source separately. This is often the way in which systematic torture and other ill-treatment come to light.

Non-governmental human rights organizations, including medical organizations, or any other body engaged in monitoring and advocacy, may uncover evidence of torture and other ill-treatment during their work. Through a combination of meticulous research including field-work, interviews with survivors and families, … Continue reading →

Given the traumatic effects of torture, evidence may be kept concealed by survivors before being disclosed by them much later. The newly disclosed evidence could be the result of a change in government or government policy which can lead to an uncovering of the actions of their predecessors. Mountains of evidence can surface through various types of truth and reconciliation commissions which are working to uncover past abuses as part of a national healing process. Additionally, allegations might come to light at different stages of a legal process, even at quite late stages. There have also been cases when acknowledgement of torture practices appeared in interviews and publications of retired officials who had been responsible for acts of torture or other ill-treatment earlier in their lives.

Given the traumatic effects of torture, evidence may be kept concealed by survivors before being disclosed by them much later. The newly disclosed evidence could be the result of a change in government or government policy which can lead to … Continue reading →