The perniciousness of discussions on the reconsideration of international law in the ﬁeld of protection from torture in the global media space
Authors: Menshikov P. V. , Mikhina L. K. 
Published: February 2022

Introduction.The article reveals the inconsistency of the tendency in the international media space to question the universal principles of international law on the example of the discussion on the preservation of the provision of protection against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment of people in the context of global terrorist threats. The activity of international governmental and nongovernmental organizations in the ﬁght against torture is analyzed. The main emphasis is placed on the peculiarities and law enforcement practice of international legal legislation in the area of prohibition of the use of torture. Problems related to the prevention and spread of torture are studied, the dynamics of the development of national legislation in some states regarding the legalization of torture is examined, an example of violation of the prohibition of torture is given, as well as the position of the European Court of Human Rights regarding the use of torture.

Materials and methods.The author of the article carries out a systematic analysis, comparative and formal legal methods of international legislation against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Scientiﬁc and general scientiﬁc methods of cognition of the speciﬁcs of international legal legislation in the ﬁeld of prohibition of the use of torture and the death penalty as a capital punishment, - namely descriptive, - are applied in this article.

Results.For several decades, a system of international law has been created, which has given an interpretation of the concept of "torture", has introduced a complete ban on the use of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The prohibition of torture is absolute. Torture is prohibited by international law, the laws of most countries in the world, the UN Convention against Torture, the Geneva Conventions and other international documents. This prohibition is absolute and does not allow any exceptions, which, however, is not always the case, giving rise to national and world media outlets to intensify discussions on the admissibility of revising these norms of international law in the interests of countering terrorist threats.

Discussion and Conclusion.Despite the development of legislation in the ﬁeld of combating torture, there are a number of problems of compliance with this norm of international law. Among them: the problem of deﬁning the concept of "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment", the problem of violation of international legal acts in this area, the ethical factor in the use of torture and others. An important problem is the issue of classifying the death penalty as the highest measure of torture and punishment, discussions about which will continue for a long time. In this situation, the important priority areas of the UN and other international organizations are the ﬁght against the use of torture, the call for the introduction of a complete ban on torture, the strengthening of guarantees of the rights of citizens to be protected from them or the right to humanitarian, economic and psychological assistance in the event of torture in relation to him, encouraging the conduct of awareness-raising activities at the civil level, explaining their unconditional legislative prohibition, immorality and inhumanity. An important task for all states is to continue work to achieve a universal and complete prohibition of torture, protect the rights of citizens and build an inclusive, multilateral and trusting dialogue between all states, members of international organizations, as well as its provision at the federal, regional and local levels with the use of information and communication media policy tools and with the participation of the entire civil society.