In 1997, on the recommendation of the Economic and Social Council, the UN General Assembly, by its resolution 52/149 of December 12, proclaimed June 26 as the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.
This day is held for the purpose of eradicating torture and ensuring the effective functioning of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of 1984, which entered into force on June 26, 1987. To date, the Convention has been ratified by 162 countries.
Torture is a crime under the principles of international law. In all relevant documents, torture is strictly prohibited. And no exceptional circumstances, whether it’s a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other state of emergency, when tortures can be justified.
In 1948, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN General Assembly, the international community condemned torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
In 1975, due to the active work of non-governmental organizations, the General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. In subsequent years, other documents were adopted on the adoption of specific measures to prohibit torture.
Each participating State shall take effective legislative, administrative, judicial and other measures to prevent acts of torture in any territory under its jurisdiction.
Unfortunately, in today’s world, among the countries that adopted the Declaration, there are those which violate it in the most cynical way. During the conflict in Donbass, Ukraine has committed thousands of crimes related to torture, extrajudicial executions and ill-treatment in places of detention. This is confirmed by numerous videos distributed on the Internet, as well as testimonies of former prisoners of war. At the same time, the lack of a proper response from the international community has become one of the reasons for the numerous war crimes of the Kiev regime.
