June the 26th is International Day in Support of Torture Victims. This day was created by the United Nations General Assembly to highlight the horrors of torture and to remember those who have been tortured. June 26 is the day the “Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment” came into effect. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan explained: “This is a day on which we pay our respects to those who have endured the unimaginable. This is an occasion for the world to speak up against the unspeakable.” He said the day is “dedicated to remembering and supporting the many victims and survivors of torture around the world”.

Torture is one of the biggest abuses of human rights. The terrible thing is that it is so common throughout the world. Almost every country is accused of using torture, in one form or another. There are millions of victims alive today, bearing terrible physical, emotional and psychological scars. Their torture can continue for a lifetime, with bad dreams and nightmares. Those who torture think up the most terrible ways of causing pain and abuse. This includes rape, electrocution, burns, horrific cuts, sleep deprivation and near-lethal beatings. There is still a long way to go in the fight against torture. There seems to be no end in sight to this inhumane treatment of others. Only 105 countries have signed up to the Convention against Torture.

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