UN Holidays - International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

Every year, UN member states celebrate the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on June 26th The international holiday, permeated with an atmosphere of tragedy and horrific cruelty, began in 1997 The day aims to put an end to inhumane, aggressive and degrading acts, as well as to provide psychological and financial support to victims who have been subjected to suffering and torture The concept of “torture” means an action that is directed at a person and entails causing him severe torment and pain in order to obtain the necessary information from him, or as retribution for his earlier actions, as well as intimidation or coercion Torture is based on discrimination of any kind in order to suppress a person and strike a blow to self-esteem This can be both physical pain and psychological stress Torture is prohibited in accordance with the principles of international law at the legislative level No external circumstances, even large-scale ones, can justify such crimes Somehow a war or threat of military action, a revolutionary situation, political instability, a threat to national security or any other emergency situation It is impossible to justify an order from representatives of the civil service, much less from the boss Some countries simply ignore the official prohibition of torture at the international legislative level Thus, in Cuba, prisoners were played loud music for several days Psychological influence was exerted in order to obtain confessions during interrogations In China, a thriving business is the removal and sale of internal organs from prisoners For the most part, the horrific fate concerns dissident prisoners - Catholics, Christians, Tibetans, etc It is no coincidence that a special term even arose - Chinese “transplant tourism” In many countries, patients are forced to wait for several years for a donor organ, so they go to China to receive a liver, kidney or other organ in the shortest possible time and undergo a complex operation On this day, participating states unite to help people who are victims of violent acts, as well as their families A special charitable fund has been opened at the UN, which receives contributions to support victims Rehabilitation centers invite people to undergo free psychological programs for a painless way out of post-traumatic states, which help them forget about the horror of the scenes they experienced and heal Large-scale events are being held all over the world, in which released prisoners, public figures, government officials, human rights activists, representatives of political parties and patriotic communities take part On the Day of Remembrance for Victims of Torture, flowers and wreaths are traditionally laid at the memorials It is customary to reward people who helped with their release from prison They also organize thematic forums, seminars, conferences and lectures On television and radio, people who suffered due to inhumane criminal acts share their memories of terrible events and tell how their lives turned out after that A documentary film is being broadcast, which tells with utmost honesty about the fate of the people who suffered these tragic trials To prevent acts of torture, intensive educational and propaganda work is carried out in many areas Legislative acts are being adopted that toughen penalties for crimes against human dignity and freedom