Torture can be defined as, ‘the officially sanctioned infliction of intense suffering, aimed at forcing someone to do or say something against his or her will.’ Thus we should understand that this humane exercise should be stopped, and is unacceptable. Torture is cruel, it causes mental stress for the victim, and it leads to the distribution of false information.
Amnesty International, which is a non-governmental organisation focused on human rights around the world, received reports of torture or cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment in more than 150 countries during the four-year period from 1997 to 2000.
Surveys of torture survivors reveal that torture “is not aimed primarily at the extraction of information. Its real aim is to break down the victim’s personality and identity.” Torture is used as a tool of repression against conflict and community empowerment. Torture has been occurring for centuries, but we live in a world where we think of ourselves as highly advanced, not only technologically but
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The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of torture is unendurable pain, but this physical pain remains in the torture chamber. The physical after effects are appalling, but the real repulsion is what remains in the mind.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) occurs in most torture sufferers. The main problem affecting these victims is depression. Some victims experience prevalent chronic pain for years after the incident. They may also undergo social withdraw and insomnia. Torture victims may often end up taking their own lives because of the experiences they have undergone.
A man part of the United States Extraordinary Rendition programme claimed that, under torture, he eventually confessed to whatever was demanded. This is proof that torturers will keep on going until they hear what they want to, even if it is