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UN Secretary-General issues message on International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

25 June 2009 10:50 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Lachin Sultanova â€“ APA. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a message on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, UN office in Azerbaijan told APA. The message says that despite an impressive legal and institutional framework to prevent it, torture is still widely tolerated or even practiced by Governments, and impunity persists for the perpetrators.
â€œThe International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is an occasion to reaffirm the right of all men and women to live free of the fear of torture. There is no justification for torture or any form of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment in any society, at any time, under any circumstance,â€ the message says.
The Secretary General says that this Day is also an opportunity to express solidarity with torture victims and their families, and to reiterate the need for all Governments to commit to full redress and rehabilitation for all victims of such abuses.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, also issued a statement on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
â€œA total of 146 states have ratified the Convention against Torture (CAT) in the 25 years since it was adopted in 1984 â€“ in other words, three-quarters of the worldâ€™s states. This is impressive by comparison with many other treaties, but unimpressive given the inhumanity of the practices this Convention seeks to ban. I urge more states to ratify this treaty, and its Optional Protocol, and I urge those who have already done so to ensure they abide by the very clear rules it contains,â€ Navi Pillay said.