Legal advice
Torture is a crime under international law. If you have suffered torture, you have the right to seek remedy or reparations.
As a torture victim, you may need legal advice for a variety of reasons such as pending asylum applications and health benefits. You may also need specialised information on the possibility of getting national and international remedy for the harm you have suffered.
Depending on your situation, there are several ways of seeking remedy or reparations, which can occur at a local, regional or international level.
In any situation, the rehabilitation centres and programmes that are members of the I
Several of these centres and programmes provide legal services or, alternatively, they could have contact with specialist lawyers with the appropriate expertise or human rights organisations that provide services to torture victims.
If there is not a centre or programme in your country or for any reason you are unable to contact them, try to get legal advice from a non-government organisation working within human rights. The following organisations may, in certain circumstances, provide legal services to survivors of torture:
Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA) – Works to deter torture and other severe human rights abuses around the world by helping survivors hold their persecutors accountable. Homepage: http://www.cja.org/
Canadian Centre for International Justice/Centre canadien pour la justice internationale (CCJI) - A charitable organisation that works with survivors of genocide, torture and other atrocities to seek redress and bring perpetrators to justice. Homepage: http://www.ccij.ca
Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) – A non-profit legal and educational organisation dedicated to protecting and advancing the rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Homepage: http://www.ccrjustice.org
International Federation of Human Rights Leagues (FIDH) – Its mandate is to contribute to the respect of all the rights defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Homepage in English, French, Spanish and Arabic: http://www.fidh.org/
REDRESS – A human rights organisation that helps torture survivors obtain justice and reparation. It seeks a variety of remedies, including restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition. Homepage: http://www.redress.org/
Universal and regional mechanisms for individual complaint
Some international and regional human rights treaties and bodies provide individuals, under certain circumstances, the opportunity to appeal against the violation of human rights, including torture and ill-treatment.
