Difference between revisions of "Representing Victims of Torture"
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* Common Article 3 of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 (prohibiting torture in all armed conflicts) | * Common Article 3 of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 (prohibiting torture in all armed conflicts) | ||
* The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC has particular significance because it provides for jurisdiction over cases where torture is alleged either as part of the crime of genocide or as a crime against humanity, if the torture is committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack, or as a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. | * The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC has particular significance because it provides for jurisdiction over cases where torture is alleged either as part of the crime of genocide or as a crime against humanity, if the torture is committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack, or as a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. | ||
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| + | ===Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners=== | ||
| + | The First United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders adopted the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, and the Economic and Social Council approved it in 1977. The document set out basic standards on how to treat prisoners, including conditions and access to help. For example, Article 93 noted that "For the purposes of his defence, an untried prisoner shall be allowed to apply for free legal aid where such aid is available, and to receive visits from his legal adviser with a view to his defence and to prepare and hand to him confidential instructions" <ref> Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners</ref>. It is generally extremely important that prisoners have access to legal services, especially for those who have been tortured, as they may be more vulnerable than other types of prisoners. | ||
==Identifying Victims of Torture== | ==Identifying Victims of Torture== | ||
