After attending a workshop with Kevin Laue from REDRESS I wanted to highlight the great work this human rights organisation is doing to help torture survivors obtain justice and reparation.
I’m inspired by their work – their direct work with survivors of torture and related international crimes is at the heart of what they do. They also work to promote standards both nationally and internationally. Find out more about their work and cases they’ve been involved with.
Justice means more than monetary compensation
REDRESS recognises that torture survivors need and deserve more than monetary compensation. The organisation also seeks:
- Restitution – the recovery of any loss of property
- Rehabilitation –torture can cause a wide range of physical and psychological problems. Medical and psychological rehabilitative support is therefore essential.
- Satisfaction – prosecution of perpetrators and/or recognition that torture took place
- Assurance of non-repetition by the perpetrators
Problems seeking justice
Kevin highlighted some of the problems faced when seeking justice:
- Who will hear the case? The perpetrator state needs to have adopted a human rights treaty which allows individual cases to be brought before a committee or court. This is a common problem arising in torture cases in Asia and the Middle East, as many states in those region shave not adopted any such treaties.
- Enforcing the judgements – even in cases where a judgement is giving, problems arise in getting the state to comply with the judgement!
Refugees and asylum seekers have often experienced torture
It is a sad fact but some of the people we see at Scottish Refugee Council have experienced torture in their lives. And thats why organisations like REDRESS are so important.
Kevin acknowledged that commonly asylum seekers who do not yet feel secure in their host country generally do not show interest in pursuing justice or compensation.
This view was supported by Roy from Freedom from Torture who said that overwhelmingly their clients talk in terms of seeking safety – and that little else figures as important for them. We discussed the idea that in some ways justice could be seen as the next stage in a healing process.
I am deeply embarrassed when I meet people who think asylum seekers like me are just people who need some money
Patson Muzuwa, Zimbabwean torture survivor. Read Patson’s story.
Supporting victims of torture
- finding safety – by supporting people through the asylum process we can aid the first stage of their journey to recovery
- helping people build a more settled life through integration and support programs
- referring people to medical care organisations like Freedom From Torture who can help with the physical and mental effects of their experiences
- Introducing the possibility of seeking justice through REDRESS when the time is right!
