This file is a mirror of EUSKAL HERRIA JOURNAL by Basque Red Net.
Torture has a number of objectives. One is to obtain information demonstrating the guilt of the persons detained or of a third party, another is to punish the person tortured, and a third is to intimidate the immediate victims and, by extension, the rest of society. But torture, as practiced by public servants or at their request, is principally designed to destroy the personality of the victim: it is the negation of human dignity.
In this respect, P. Kooijmans, Special Reporter on torture of the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations, insisted in his repeport, dated December 15, 1992, that what made torture so shocking was that it sought to bring about the desintegration of the personality of the individual, which meant that in the long term its effects were more psychological than physical.
To date, Spain ratified a number of international agreements and treaties designed to protect human rights. International regulations are not "magic formulas" capable in themselves of stopping the violation of human rights. As Mr. Kooijmans says in his report: "governments must realize that they cannot go on condemning the evils of torture at an internationsl level while they accept it at home."
Today, Torturaren Aurkako Taldea receives hundreds of accounts from people who claim have been subjected to torture or abuse by the police or prison warders. In most cases, these claims are made by individuals deprived of their freedom for political reasons. "Common or hardened criminals" are as a class less likely to complain of illtreatment, often because they see such treatment as normal. Another consideration is that any complaints they made would only make their situation worse the next time they were caught.
Source: Torturaren Aurkako Taldea.
