Garrett 1

Lorelai Garrett

Meyer

English I

29 October 2019

Torture

Torture is the act of deliberately inflicting severe physical or psychological suffering on

someone by another as a punishment or in order to fulfill some desire of the torturer or forces

some action from the victim. Torture, by definiton, is a knowing and intentional act; deeds which

unknowingly or negligently inflict suffering or pain, without a specific intent to do so, are not

typically considered torture. Unless someone has lived through torture, that person can't really

know how it feels. Torture is from the Latin word tortus which means to twist, and or to torment.

Torture has been carried out or sanctioned by individuals, groups, and states throughout

history from ancient times to modern-day, and forms of torture can vary greatly in duration from

only a few minutes to several days or longer. Reason for torture can include punishment,

revenge, extortion, whether it is false, or simply the sadistic gratificaiton of those carrying out or

observing the torture. Alternatively, some forms of torture are designed to inflict psychological

pain or leave as little physical injury or evidence as possible while achieving the same

psychological devastation. The systematic use of torture in criminal procedures dates back to the

earliest civilizations.

Although torture is sanctioned by some states, it is prohibited under international law and

the domestic laws of most countries. "Although widely illegal and reviled, there is an ongoing

debate as to what exactly is and is not legally defined as torture. It is a serious violation of human
rights and is declared to be unacceptable." Torture is also prohibited for the signatories of the

United Nations Convention Against Torture, which has 163 state parties. "The United Nations

Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,

which is currently in force since 26 June 1987, provides a broad definition of torture."

Deliberately painful methods of torture and execution for severe crimes were taking for

granted as part of justice until the development of Humanism in the 17th Century. The Age of

Enlightenment in the Western world further developed the idea of universal human rights. The

adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 marks the recognition at least

nominally of a general ban of torture by all UN member states. "In November 2002, the

suspected Afghan militant Gul Rahman was being held at "the Salt Pit", a secret US prison in

Afghanistan."

Medieval and early modern European courts used torture, depending on the crime of the

accused and his or her social status. Torture was deemed a legitimate means to extract

confessions or to obtain the names of accomplices or other information about a crime, although

many confessions were greatly invalid due to the victim being forced to confess under great

agony and pressure. Five prisoners were forced to ingest food or water through their rectums.

In conclusion, torture is being used across the world. Many organizations are trying to get

rid of torture. One organization is called Amnesty International. They are building a powerful

barrier between the torturer and the tortured people. "Most virtuous people face when thinking

about torture is whether there is ever a case when a good result produced by torture justifies the

evil act of torturing someone. A sizeable majority of people around the world are opposed to
 Garrett 3
torture even if its purpose is to elicit information that could save an innocent life from a terrorist

attack". To do this they must insist on lawyers who are present during interrogations.

Works Cited

Dorfman, Ariel. “What Does It Feel Like to Be Tortured?” The Nation, 29 June 2015,

www.thenation.com/article/what-does-it-feel-be-tortured/.

Ethics, BBC. “Ethics - Torture: The 'Ticking Bomb' Problem.” BBC, BBC, 2014,

www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/torture/ethics/tickingbomb_1.shtml.

Sanchez, Raf. “Torture Report: 10 Examples of the Horror in the CIA's Prisons.” The

Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 10 Dec. 2014,

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11284139/Torture-report-10-

examples-of-the-horror-in-the-CIAs-prisons.html.