Torture and Atrocities in Modern Wars: UN Warns States of Rising Trends

UN Special Rapporteur on torture, Alice Jill Edwards, has issued a stern warning to UN Member and Observer States that today's wars are being marked by torture and other atrocities that hinder peace and recovery. Edwards' report documents violations in 15 armed conflicts and situations of insecurity, including Russia-Ukraine, Gaza/Israel, Myanmar, Sudan, and Yemen. The Special Rapporteur has stressed that even in times of war, torture and other inhumane acts are prohibited and has called for States to incorporate clear strategies to prevent torture in their defence budgets.

Key Takeaways:

• The UN Special Rapporteur on torture has documented violations in 15 armed conflicts and situations of insecurity, including Russia-Ukraine, Gaza/Israel, Myanmar, Sudan, and Yemen.
• The report highlights a "dangerous resurgence of physical, psychological, and sexual torture, where cruelty has become a weapon of control and humiliation."
• States have obligations toward their own soldiers to return from battle "morally intact" and defence budgets should incorporate clear strategies to prevent torture, with training, monitoring, and protection for whistle-blowers.
• Torture is never a legitimate military tactic and is always a crime.
• The Special Rapporteur's report identified 10 additional global trends, including hostage-taking, repression of political and religious dissidents, the use of experimental drug combinations in executions, corporal mutilation as criminal punishment, and violence against women and girls.
• Progress was observed in criminal justice and prison reforms, but greater investments in infrastructure, conditions, and independent oversight are needed.
• Excessive use of force and mismanagement of less-lethal weapons resulted in deaths and serious injuries during protests, highlighting the need for transparent global regulation of the trade and use of law-enforcement equipment.

Statistics:

• 15 armed conflicts and situations of insecurity across the globe have been documented in the report.
• The report highlighted "a dangerous resurgence of physical, psychological, and sexual torture" in these conflicts.
• 10 additional global trends were identified, including hostage-taking, repression of political and religious dissidents, and corporal mutilation as criminal punishment.
• The report stated that progress was observed in criminal justice and prison reforms in some regions.
• Excessive use of force and mismanagement of less-lethal weapons resulted in deaths and serious injuries during protests in several cases.

Sources:

• The report and press release by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights