hari itu dipilih oleh majelis umum pbb karena dua alasan.
pertama, pada tanggal 26 juni 1945, piagam pbb ditandatangani - instrumen internasional pertama yang mewajibkan anggota pbb untuk menghormati dan memajukan hak asasi manusia.
kedua, tanggal 26 juni 1987 adalah ketika konvensi pbb menentang penyiksaan diberlakukan.
keputusan untuk setiap tahun memperingati hari dukungan untuk korban penyiksaan internasional diberlakukan oleh majelis umum pbb atas usul denmark, yang merupakan rumah dewan rehabilitasi korban penyiksaan internasional (drkpi (bahasa inggris: irct)).
tanggal 26 juni yang pertama diberlakukan pada tahun 1998.
sejak itu, hampir 100 organisasi di berbagai negara di seluruh dunia memperingatinya dengan perayaan dan kampanye.
setiap tahun irct memonitor rencana kampanye organisasi di seluruh dunia dan menjelang akhir tahun menerbitkan laporan global 26 juni yang mana menggambarkan acara yang diadakan dalam rangka memperingati hari tersebut.
menurut laporan global juni 26 yang terbaru (2012), setidaknya 100 organisasi di 60 negara di seluruh dunia memperingati hari dengan konferensi, lokakarya, demonstrasi damai, acara budaya dan musik, acara untuk anak-anak, dll.
daftar organisasi yang dilaporkan telah mengadakan acara untuk memperingati hari tersebut pada tahun 2012:
: centre for the study of violence and reconcialiation/programme: trauma and transition programme (csvr/ttp); and the trauma centre for survivors of violence and torture (tcsvt)
: albanian rehabilitation centre for trauma and torture (arct)
: survivors of torture, international; bellevue/nyu program for survivors of torture; center for survivors of torture, san jose; center for survivors of torture and war trauma (cstwt); florida center for survivors of torture  a program of gulf coast jewish family services, inc. (fcst); program for survivors of torture and severe trauma at the center for multicultural human services (a program of nvfs); center for victims of torture (cvt); center for survivors of torture, dallas; national religious campaign against torture (nrcat)
: equipo argentino de trabajo e investigacin psicosocial (eatip)
: civil society institute (csi), foundation against violation of law (favl)
: phoenix centre; service for the treatment and rehabilitation of torture survivors (startts); and survivors of torture and trauma assistance and rehabilitation service (sttars)
: centre for rehabilitation of torture survivors (crts); bangladesh centre for human rights and development (bchrd); and bangladesh human rights commission (bhrc)
: instituto de terapia e investigacin sobre las secuelas de la tortura y la violencia estatal (itei)
: vive ene centre for therapy and rehabilitation
: grupo tortura nunca mais / rio de janeiro
: solidarit d'actions pour la paix / grand lacs
: association jeunesse pour la paix et la non violence / centre de rhabilitation des victimes de la torture (ajpnv/crvt)
: salvadoran association of torture survivors (asst)
: asian medical students association  philippines (amsa-philippines); balay rehabilitation center; medical action group (mag)
: centre for survivors of torture in finland (cstf)
: empathy, psycho-rehabilitation centre for victims of torture, violence and pronounced stress impact (rct/empathy); georgian centre for psychosocial and medical rehabilitation of torture victims (gcrt)
: asian human rights commission (ahrc)
: cordelia foundation for the rehabilitation of torture victims
: centre for care of torture victims (cctv); centre for organisation, research and education / human to humane transcultural centre for trauma and torture (core/h2h); south india cell for human rights education and monitoring (sichrem); tibetan torture survivors' program (ttsp)
: alliance of democracy for papua (aldp); alliance of civil society for anti-torture (sikap); and rehabilitation action for torture victims in aceh (rata)
: organization for defending victims of violence (odvv)
: bahjat al-fuad rehabilitation of medical &
psychological centre for torture victims (bfrct)
: spirasi, the centre for the care of survivors of torture (ccst)
: public committee against torture in israel (pcati)
: berlin treatment center for torture victims (bzfo); medical care service for refugees bochum (mfh bochum)
: trauma centre cameroon
: transcultural psychosocial organization
: canadian centre for international justice (ccij)
: mwatikho torture survivors organization (mateso); independent medico-legal unit (imlu); center for victims of torture (cvt-kenya); centre against torture (cat-kenya); international rescue committee at hagadera refugee camp (irc-hagadera)
: london guantanamo campaign (lgc); freedom from torture; refugee therapy centre (rtc); zimbabwe human rights ngo forum and redress
: corporacin centro de atencin psicosocial (caps-co)
: kosovo rehabilitation centre for torture victims (krct)
: rehabilitation centre for torture victims (rct) zagreb
: golos svobody public foundation
: khiam rehabilitation center for victims of torture (krc)
: liberia association of psychosocial services (laps)
: el nadeem center for psychological management and rehabilitation of victims of violence
: colectivo contra la tortura y la impunidad (ccti)
: rehabilitation centre for torture victims  memoria
: association medicale de rhabilitation des victimes de la torture (amrvt)
: peoples education assistance and counselling for empowerment (peace)
: centre for victims of torture nepal (cvict)
: youth education on human rights and civil responsibility (yehrcr); prisoners rehabilitation and welfare action (prawa)
: human development organization (hdo); sach struggle for change
: treatment and rehabilitation center for victims of torture (trc)
: action by christians for the abolition of torture (acat)
: oasis centre for treatment and rehabilitation of victims of torture and trauma (oasis); committee of observers of human rights (codho); giprocome; regroupement des mamans de kamituga (remak); sos jeunesse et enfance en detresse (sos jed); centre psycho mdical pour la rhabilitation des victimes de la torture / solidarit pour la promotion sociale et la paix (cpmrvt/soprop); save congo; amis des victimes des violations des droits humains (avvdh)
: interregional nongovernmental organization committee against torture (ingocat)
: refugee trauma recovery (rtr)
: victimes de violences rehabilites, le centre de soins du caprec (vivre/caprec)
: international aid network centre for rehabilitation of torture victims (ian crtv)
: coordinadora para la prevencin y denuncia de la tortura (cpdt)
: community association for psychosocial services (caps)
: survivors associated (sa); family rehabilitation centre (frc); human rights office  kandy
: red cross  stockholm; red cross  malm
: world organisation against torture (omct)
: collective of associations against impunity in togo (cacit)
: centre of social action, rehabilitation and readjustment for the victims of torture (sohram-casra); foundation for social and legal studies (tohav)
: african centre for treatment and rehabilitation of torture victims (actv)
: red de apoyo por la justicia y la paz
dewan rehabilitasi korban penyiksaan internasional
situs resmi hari dukungan untuk korban penyiksaan internasional
26 juni  hari pbb melawan kegiatan penyiksaan di irct
warga tibet meminta cina untuk "menghentikan penyiksaan di tibet"