Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Report: 'Torture is alive and flourishing'

WARNING: THIS REPORT CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES THAT YOU MAY FIND DISTURBING. In 1984 the United Nations adopted a convention outlawing the use of torture. Thirty years on, Amnesty International says torture still remains prevalent in countries across EVERY continent. A new study has found that nearly half the world's population continues to live in fear of being tortured by authorities. Accurate statistics on the use of torture are impossible as governments go to great lengths to cover it up, but Amnesty says that in 2014 at least 79 countries continue to engage in it. Torture takes many forms - from electric shocks to sleep deprivation, even rape. Human rights groups are demanding governments stand by their legal commitments and put an end to torture. Al Jazeera's Barnaby Phillips reports.