Real life doesn't look like “24″ or “Zero Dark Thirty” – even in the U.S., torture is mostly practiced as a means of dehumanizing enemies. Amnesty International research shows that torture and other ill-treatment continue to be an issue in many countries.
It also clearly shows that most victims of torture and other ill-treatment worldwide are not dangerous terrorists but rather poor, marginalized and disempowered criminal suspects who seldom draw the attention of the media and public opinion, either nationally or globally.
1. Torture is Mainly Used Against Terror Suspects and During War
The focus on torture and other ill-treatment in what the U.S. authorities then called the “war on terror” at the beginning of the century may have skewed the global picture.Torture continues in anti-terrorism contexts.
2. Torture is the Only Way to Get Information, FastTorture is a primitive and blunt instrument of obtaining information. Humane questioning techniques have proved to be efficient in obtaining information on crimes without the devastating personal, societal and legal consequences.
3. Some Forms of Torture Are Not That Bad
Torture doesn't come in levels. It is defined legally as an act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person to punish or obtain information. No torture is “lite.” All forms of torture are despicable and illegal
4. In Certain Circumstances, It Serves a Greater Good
Torture is never legal or acceptable. Countries that currently fail to punish it by law are violating internationally agreed standards. In legal terms, the absolute prohibition on torture and other ill-treatment is “non-derogable” – that is, it cannot be relaxed, even in times of emergency.
5. Only a Handful of the Worst Governments Use Torture
Over the past five years, Amnesty International has reported on torture or other ill-treatment in 141 countries and from every world region. While in some of these countries, torture might be the exception, in others it is systemic, and even one case of torture or other ill-treatment is unacceptable.
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