Torture

Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person. It is often used for specific purposes, such as punishment or interrogation. People may use it to extract a confession or to gather information. It can also be used to intimidate third parties. Some definitions say torture must be carried out by the state. Other definitions include non-state actors, such as organized crime groups. Most victims are poor or marginalized people suspected of crimes. However, political prisoners and people in armed conflicts often receive more attention.

To understand how torture works, we must look at its components. It is generally understood as being done to a helpless person. The perpetrator has control over the victim. This powerlessness helps distinguish torture from the legitimate use of force. The act must be intentional and serve a specific purpose. It cannot be the result of mere negligence. There is a debate about the threshold of severity required. This is the level of pain needed to classify treatment as torture. Some legal systems distinguish torture from cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. This distinction often depends on the severity of the act or the motive behind it.

Methods of torture vary and are often used in combination. Physical torture is a very common form, with beatings being one of the most frequent. In the twentieth century, many torturers shifted their tactics. They began to prefer non-scarring or psychological methods. These methods aim to target the mind rather than leave visible marks. This shift helps perpetrators maintain deniability. The ultimate goal is often to break the victim's will. It seeks to destroy their agency and their very personality. This makes it one of the most damaging experiences a human can undergo.

History shows that torture has been practiced since ancient times. In many ancient, medieval, and early modern societies, it was legally and morally acceptable. It was often viewed as a reliable way to find the truth. Societies also used it as a form of punishment and deterrence. Archaeological evidence shows torture in Early Neolithic Europe about 7,000 years ago. Historical sources also mention its use in Assyria and Achaemenid Persia.

In the Ottoman Empire and Qajar Iran, it was used when circumstantial evidence linked someone to a crime. However, Islamic law traditionally held that confessions made under torture were invalid.

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, things began to change in the West. Many countries abolished the official use of torture in their judicial systems. This happened because of Enlightenment ideas regarding the value of the human person. People also began to see pain as having no moral value. Imprisonment became a more common alternative to painful punishments. In China, judicial torture was banned in 1905. This ban included flogging and a method called lingchi. Despite these legal changes, torture continued to be used around the world.

In the twentieth century, torture was used frequently during major conflicts. Colonial powers used it to subdue resistance during anti-colonial wars. For example, an estimated 300,000 people were tortured during the Algerian War from 1954 to 1962. The United Kingdom and Portugal also used torture to try to keep their empires. During the Cold War, both communist and anti-communist governments used it in Latin America. In those cases, between 100,000 and 150,000 victims were recorded. The first half of the century also saw more torture in Europe due to secret police and world wars.

Today, torture is prohibited under international law for all states. It is explicitly forbidden by several international treaties. This global opposition helped spark the human rights movement after World War II. Even with these laws, most countries still practice torture in some way. It is often done in secrecy, which makes it hard to measure. Many survivors are unwilling to report what happened to them. Victims are often from vulnerable groups, such as refugees, migrants, or ethnic minorities.

Efforts to prevent torture include institutional reforms and ending incommunicado detention. These changes have had positive effects on protecting human rights.