IRCT

IRCT: Governments must fulfil
torture victims’ rights

The world’s leading movement for rehabilitation of torture
survivors elects new president to spearhead its global work.
The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims
has re-elected Palestinian Psychologist Dr. Abdel Hamid
Afana as President.

Immediately after his election Dr Afana called on all
governments to honour their obligation to ensure torture
survivors’ right to reparation, including rehabilitation.

“All governments are legally obliged to provide adequate
redress to torture survivors. But the harsh reality is that only a
fraction of the world’s torture victims receive the services they
are entitled to according to international law,” said Dr Afana.

Pointing out that over 100 governments continue to practice
torture systematically, he underlined the massive need for
more treatment facilities, particularly in areas of conflict and
post-conflict, where the number of victims often reaches
staggering heights.

“The current level of government commitment is simply too
low. Tens of thousands of torture survivors across the world
are left without any possibility for receiving the treatment and
support they need to return to life after suffering unimaginable
abuse,” said Dr Afana.

The IRCT – a health professional umbrella organisation
covering 130 treatment centres and programmes in 80
countries – is the world’s leading movement providing torture
survivors with medical and psychological treatment as well as
legal and social support.

“We have 20 years of experience, and each year we help an
estimated 100,000 primary and secondary torture survivors.
But many of our treatment centres lack funding to sustain their
work. There is an urgent need to expand their capacity and to
establish new centres,” Dr Afana stressed.

In Berlin on 8 December the IRCT General Assembly held
elections for a new Council, which then elected an Executive
Committee and re-elected Dr Afana as President. Dr Afana
has been on the IRCT Executive Committee for three years
and has served as President of the organisation since
November 2005. The new Executive Committee comprises
the following persons:

President: Dr Abdel Hamid Afana, Psychologist, Palestine
Vice-President: Dr José Quiroga, MD, United States
Member: Director Niels Krustrup, Denmark
Member: Mr Ronald Amilcar Solis Sea, Guatemala
Member: Dr Mohamud Sheikh Nurein Said, MD, Kenya
Independent Expert: Professor Vivienne Nathanson, MD,
United Kingdom
Independent Expert: Professor Sebnem Korur Fincanci,
Forensic Expert, Turkey

For more information, please contact IRCT Head of
Communication, Tomas Kristiansen on: +45 22 18 50 57.

Jesoor organization
Administration
Dec 2006