Despite the universal condemnation of torture, it is still used to extract confessions, to interrogate, to punish or to intimidate. In Police stations and prison cells, on city streets and in remote villages, torturers continue to inflict physical agony and mental anguish. Their cruelty kills, or leaves scars on the body and mind that last a lifetime. The victims of torture are not just the people in the hands of the torturers. Friends, families and the wider community all suffer.
Torture even damages and distorts the hopes of future generations.
Amnesty International and other organisations have been campaigning against torture for almost 40 years. To Stamp Out Torture are boosts to the continuing work against torture. They are global campaigns, launched simultaneously in more than 60 countries. They utilise Amnesty International's experience in gaining media coverage, in publications and in lobbying, as well as mobilising the million individual members Amnesty International has worldwide. In preparation for the campaign, AI conducted a survey of its research files on 195 countries and territories covering the period 1997 to mid-2000.