The Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture, Launching June 26 Campaign

The United Nations along with the human rights organizations celebrates the International Day Against Torture, annually, in order to support the torture victims and to raise voices against any violation for the human rights and also to remember all the victims of torture who suffered physical and mental harassment and who passed away under sever torture.

Torture is a crime against humanity, a crime that is still practiced in more than hundred countries.

Torture practices humiliate the human’s dignity and are highly used in wars as a means to dominate and control others.

This year, we celebrate the International Day against Torture while the photos of torture in Abu Gharib Prison are still in our minds, and its horribleness still shakes the world’s conscience.

Torture against prisoners in Guantanamo takes us back in history into black stages.
And in Palestine, all aspects of normal life vanish in the systematic extermination war lead by Israel against the Palestinian population.

In the Arabic prisons the situation is not better, where jails are more like stockades, missed is who enters and new born who comes out.

If Televisions were allowed to get into any of the Israeli, Arabian, African and other Dictatorial systems’ prisons, we will find ourselves in front of more horrible photos than those of Abu Gharib.

Torture is not limited to prisoners but extends to reach women, children and poor marginalized sectors of society.

Hence, Poverty is torture;

Starvation is torture;

Thirst is torture;

Children’s labor is torture;

Violence against women is torture;

In short, we are living within conditions that are harder than those witnessed after the World Wars II and I; the world is witnessing barbarism in practicing torture and great violations for human rights more than we’ve ever seen.

However, we move by the name of fighting terrorism and violations against human rights, and by the name of fighting the phenomenon of taking terrorism as an excuse to practice torture and violate the International laws and Geneva Conventions.

Because human’s existence is in danger, the celebrations of June 26 take a great importance for the voices to raise and be united against any violation;

Against barbarism;

Against humans degrading;

Against governments that practice torture.

June 26 is a call out to offend and prohibit torture;

June 26 is a call out to support torture victims and their families;

June 26 is a call out for a world free of torture, starvation, repression and wars.
Together against torture;

Stop torture.

Mohammed Safa

Secretary General

Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture
Mazraa
Beirut - Lebanon
P.O. Box: 14-5843