10 Successes of the Global Anti-Torture Movement in 2024
In 2024, severe human rights crises impacted multiple regions. In Ukraine, the ongoing conflict led to violence against civilians, including torture and arbitrary detention. In Bangladesh, a brutal government crackdown on student protesters led to unprecedented repression, with security forces deploying lethal weapons against demonstrators. Meanwhile, the perilous journeys of migrants across North Africa and the Mediterranean continued to expose vulnerable populations to extreme risks, with many facing torture and ill-treatment in their pursuit of safety. These examples represent just a few of the critical human rights challenges that defined the global landscape in 2024, emphasizing the urgent need for sustained efforts to uphold human dignity worldwide.
2024 also saw significant progress in efforts to eradicate torture and ill-treatment, reflecting the unwavering commitment of our SOS-Torture Network members and partners across the globe. As we look back on the past year, we celebrate 10 key achievements that showcase the impact of the global anti-torture movement and inspire renewed efforts in the year ahead.
1. Africa
In May 2024, the United Nations Committee Against Torture condemned Burundi for torturing Epitace Nshimirimana, an opposition member arrested in 2015 for protesting against Pierre Nkurunziza's illegal third mandate. This complaint, filed by Armel Niyongere of the SOS-Torture Litigators’ Group established by OMCT in 2019, marks a significant victory in the ongoing struggle against impunity for the crimes committed by Burundian security forces, which OMCT and its partners have tirelessly confronted since the onset of the crisis.
2. Asia
Bangladesh’s long struggle against torture and impunity reached a turning point with the July Revolution, ending 15 years of authoritarian rule under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This violent crackdown left over 700 dead and thousands injured, shocking the nation. Civil society leaders like Adilur Rahman Khan and ASM Nasiruddin Elan, from Odhikar, faced years of harassment for their activism. Now, Khan’s role as an advisor in the interim government brings renewed hope for justice, alongside Bangladesh’s ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
3. Eastern Europe and Central Asia
On October 25, 2024, the UN Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine confirmed that torture in occupied territories constitutes a crime against humanity. In 2023-2024, OMCT and Ukrainian partners created a roadmap for investigating such crimes, submitting two allegation letters, a public report, and multiple findings to the Commission. We organized seven advocacy events in Vienna, Geneva, Brussels, Warsaw, and Kyiv. The Commission’s report reflects OMCT’s legal assessment and is a significant step toward holding perpetrators accountable at the International Criminal Court.
4. Latin America
After 12 years of imprisonment, Verónica Razo was released in January 2024 in Mexico. Arrested in 2011 on kidnapping charges, she endured sexual torture during her detention. OMCT advocated for her release through legal and international efforts. Now reunited with her children, Verónica has become a human rights defender and a member of a network supporting survivors and victims in Mexico, where she passionately advocates for the release and reparations of other torture victims in the country.
5. Middle East and North Africa
Thousands of people on the move (migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers) seek to cross the Mediterranean every year in their quest for a better life in supposedly safe Europe. Torture and ill-treatment are constant companions. OMCT continues to document human rights violations and their impact on individuals and the migrant and host communities, to advocate for the absolute prohibition of torture for all and to defend the right to defend migrants’ rights, particularly in Tunisia and in Libya.
6. Children
In 2024, the legal assistance to children deprived of liberty provided by OMCT’s partner Children’s Legal Rights and Development Centre (CLRDC) led to the release of 14 children from detention. Thanks to this legal assistance and representation before the courts, these children benefit instead from alternatives to detention, through Diversion processes. After their release, the CLRDC continues to monitor the situation of these children as they go through the diversion process. Cases of children who need legal assistance are identified through the regular visits of detention places, which are crucial to the prevention of torture and protection of children detained.
7. United Against Torture Consortium
In response to widespread violations against the prohibition of torture during protests, the six organizations composing the United Against Torture Consortium (UATC) united to tackle this pressing issue. Their collaborative efforts, including participation in consultations and organisations of side-events and webinars, prompted the inclusion of key safeguards against torture in a Model Protocol, published in March 2024, by the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly. Additionally, a June 2024 Human Rights Council resolution further reaffirmed this prohibition, marking a significant advancement in the fight against torture. As part of the same effort, UATC showcased the stories of victims of police brutality in the context of protests on social media in the framework of the 40th anniversary of the United Nations Convention against Torture.
8. Index
In its pilot year, the Global Torture Index has been implemented in 21 countries worldwide in collaboration with OMCT network members and human rights defenders. The Index is an interactive tool that analyses countries’ compliance with anti-torture and human rights standards. Combining data-driven analysis with regional expertise, local anti-torture groups, academics, statisticians, country-experts, and its Steering Committee, the Index strives to identify the risk of torture and other ill-treatment. The Index aims at shedding light on this underreported crime, identifying trends and tracking progress and setbacks within and between countries and regions over time.
9. SOS-Defenders
In December 2024, OMCT and its partners launched SOS-Defenders, a collaborative initiative to document cases of human rights defenders arbitrarily detained. This platform allows users to learn about the stories of these defenders, analyse trends, and support campaigns for their release. Currently piloted in approximately 10 countries, SOS-Defenders aims to expand into a global hub for information, raising awareness and inspiring collective action against censorship by detention, empowering communities to stand up for human rights.
10. Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
In August, Jacques Sinzahera and Gloire Saasita, members of Congolese citizen movements, were arbitrarily arrested and subsequently forcibly disappeared. OMCT responded swiftly by sending letters to Congolese authorities, filing a complaint with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), and notifying African Union commissioners. In November, following a UN Special Rapporteur’s tweet, the two human rights defenders were released, highlighting the impact of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders - a partnership between OMCT and FIDH - in ensuring the protection of defenders.