Global Torture Index

Of the 39 countries covered by the Global Torture Index, 49% (19 countries) have accepted article 22 of the Convention against Torture, while 44% (17 countries) have not yet accepted. The remaining three countries have not yet ratified the Convention itself.  

Article 22 is a powerful but often overlooked tool in the fight against torture. When a State accepts it, individuals within its jurisdiction who believe they have been subjected to torture or ill-treatment gain the right to bring a complaint directly before the Committee Against Torture – the independent UN body that monitors compliance with the Convention. This means that victims are not left relying solely on their own national justice systems, which may be unwilling or unable to hold perpetrators accountable. 

Accepting article 22 is therefore a concrete signal of a State's willingness to be held to account at the international level. 

For more information, see: Individual Complaints under Article 22 – UNCAT and Ratification Status of the OPCAT – UN Human Rights Treaty Database

Incommunicado detention refers to as a situation in which an individual held in State custody is denied communication with relatives and access to lawyers and medical professionals. The practice involves the complete isolation of detainees from the outside world. 

The graph shows findings from the Global Torture Index data collection across 38 countries. The data indicate that the use of incommunicado detention, including in official places of detention, remains a widespread concern. Nearly two-thirds of responding countries (25) reported that incommunicado detention occurs often or very often, with 30% of countries reporting that it occurs very often. Conversely, only 8% of the measured countries (3) report that it occurs very rarely. 

Prison overcrowding is a major challenge across prison systems. Around 90% (34 countries) of the 39 States covered by the Global Torture Index reported prison occupancy levels above official capacity – with one country not releasing public information on this situation. Nearly 65 % of countries (24) are operating at more than 140% of capacity, while almost 40% of countries (14) experience severe overcrowding with more than 160 % occupancy. By contrast, only 10% of countries (4) reported occupancy levels within official capacity limits. 

Human Rights Defenders – individuals who work to document, report, and speak out against human rights violations, including torture and ill-treatment – are frequently exposed to reprisals, threats, and arbitrary detention precisely because of their work. Without a legal framework recognising and protecting their role, those who hold States accountable are left exposed to the very abuses they seek to expose. 

The pie chart shows whether the  countries assessed in 2026 have adopted specific laws, policies, or protocols to recognise and protect Human Rights Defenders. The largest portion of the chart shows that 27countries, or more than two-thirds of those analysed – have no such legal framework in place. Of the remaining 11 countries, 10 have adopted relevant legislation, but 8 of these fall short of international standards on the recognition and protection of Human Rights Defenders. In other words, only 2 countries have legislation fully in line with these standards. 

For more information, see SOS-Defenders, a platform that documents cases of human rights defenders subjected to arbitrary detention worldwide.  

The monitoring of assemblies is a key dimension of the Global Torture Index's Right to Defend pillar. The absolute prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment extends beyond places of deprivation of liberty to extra-custodial settings, including during protests and assemblies – making the protection of those who document such events essential. 

The graph plots two dimensions: the horizontal axis shows whether a country has legal provisions restricting the monitoring of assemblies; the vertical axis shows how frequently, in practice, people who monitor assemblies face restrictions or reprisals - ranging from "very rarely" at the bottom to "very often" at the top. Each bubble represents a group of countries sharing the same combination, with the number inside indicating how many. 

Notably, where reprisals occur very often, 5 countries have specific legal provisions restricting assembly monitoring, while 9 rely on other general provisions to the same effect. Overall, the data suggest that countries with no legal restrictions on monitoring assemblies tend to report fewer reprisals against those who monitor and document assemblies. 

For more information, see Protesting without fear – A policy framework to end torture and ill-treatment in the context of protests 

Children deprived of their liberty – held in detention or institutional confinement – are among those most exposed to torture and ill-treatment, and their protection is a key concern under the Index's "Freedom from torture while deprived of liberty" pillar. This chart shows the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) in each country assessed by the Global Torture Index in 2026 – the age below which a child cannot be held criminally liable for an offence. International standards, including the Committee on the Rights of the Child's General Comment No. 24, call for a MACR that safeguards children's dignity and rights. The data shows wide variation: 19 countries set the MACR at 14 years or above, 13 between 12 and 13 years, 3 between 8 and 9, and 1 below 8 years.

This chart shows the types of human rights violations reported against children in detention across the countries assessed by the Global Torture Index in 2026. As the chart is cumulative, a single country may appear under several categories. Solitary confinement is the most widely reported violation, documented in 24 countries – nearly two out of three assessed – followed by arbitrary or excessive disciplinary sanctions in 22 countries, and sexual violence in 11 countries.

For more information, see Children’s rights and protection from torture