ASF France Commemorates the 2023 International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Urges Justice System Stakeholders to Implement the Anti-Torture Act (2017).
Today, we join the global human rights community and the world at large to commemorate the 2023 International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. Avocats Sans Frontières France reaffirms its strong commitment to combating torture, we unequivocally condemn torture in all its forms, contexts, and settings.
Torture seeks to annihilate the victim’s personality and human dignity. It has no place in our world of today, but despite the absolute prohibition of torture under international, regional, and national laws, torture continues to be perpetrated around the world and more vehemently in Nigeria. Today being the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, we stand in solidarity with all victims of torture and reemphasize the fact that torture remains a crime against humanity all over the world.
In Nigeria, the poor conviction rate of torture in spite of its prevalence is a clear indicator of the problem and the level of work that needs to be done to establish a zero-tolerance culture of torture in Nigeria. Impunity for acts of torture and other ill-treatment must be flushed out, perpetrators of torture must be held accountable and criminal justice systems and institutions must be reformed to ensure redress for victims of torture.
The Anti-torture Act (2017) was passed by the 8th National Assembly and signed into law by Former President, H.E Muhammadu Buhari on the 29th of December, 2017. It fills the existing legislative gaps by explicitly making the right to freedom from torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment non-negotiable. The Act makes comprehensive provisions for penalizing acts of torture and other cruel treatments. So far, there has been little or no implementation of this law by criminal justice system actors which contributes to the impunity in the regular use of torture.
Today, we urge all members and key stakeholders of the Nigerian criminal justice system to work collaboratively and effectively to improve the implementation of the Anti-torture Act (2017). The Country Director of ASF France in Nigeria, Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, speaking to the media at the ASF France Nigerian Office said “we must re-write the narrative of security agencies deploying systemic torture as a means of interrogation or eliciting confessions. We must establish a zero-tolerance culture to torture, and this can be attained by the effective implementation of the Anti-torture Act. Criminal justice actors must not relent until this new culture becomes our reality”.
True justice in cases of torture can only be achieved when victims of torture obtain redress for the violation of their rights and the perpetrators are held accountable. Above all, respect for human rights and human dignity must continue to be at the centre of our efforts against torture, and shape our responses and actions in creating a zero-tolerance culture to torture in Nigeria. The Federal Government must vehemently condemn torture and work with criminal justice actors and CSOs to end torture in Nigeria.
Since 2009, Avocats Sans Frontières France has been working to end torture in Nigeria by implementing the Promoting the United Nations Convention against Torture (ProCAT) project which aimed at ending all forms of torture by security agencies in Nigeria. As part of efforts to commemorate the 2023 International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, ASF France will be implementing capacity-building training for members of the National Committee Against Torture (NCAT) on its role as Nigeria’s preventive mechanism against torture.
Ending torture is a global challenge, we must all continue to work together to create a zero-tolerance culture of torture in Nigeria.
