International Day in Support of Victims of Torture from around the world is marked as a need for education and raising public awareness about the seriousness of the consequences, but also for taking actions for preventing torture and violence.

With the purpose of encouraging victims of torture not to be voiceless, but rather brave and determined in the fight for their rights, and also in demanding responsibility of the institutions in taking measures in the fight against violence and inhumanity, more than thirty years ago, Amnesty International launched the campaign #StopTorture.

CIVIL – Center for Freedom is calling on all citizens to be alert, and not voiceless witnesses of violence and torture. Macedonia, unfortunately, is still not able to free itself from the grasps of violence and violation of human rights and freedoms. CIVIL condemns every attempt of subjecting and abolishing human rights and freedoms through any form of violence.

Regardless of the social and political turmoil in the country, in the last year we have witnessed institutional inefficiency that has led children to being victims of sexual abuse and violence, journalist being beaten while professionally performing their job, citizens being victims of every form of psychological torture in the struggle for realizing their democratic rights, prisons whose alarming situation has still not been overcome, homes for care of orphans that force children to run away from them, hate speech, and this is just a small portion of cases that have been noted that point to the practice of building a society through violence and not democracy.

On December 12, 1997, by Resolution 52/149, the UN General Assembly proclaimed June 26 the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, with the purpose of eradicating torture and effective functioning of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

Torture is a crime under international law, that is binding on every member of the international community, regardless of whether a State has ratified international treaties, to fight against the systematic practice of torture. By this, we are all individually, but also jointly responsible for the degree of tolerating inhumanity and inhumane treatment and violence.

That is why we need to say NO to torture and violence and YES to the fight for human dignity and freedom in all forms.