Kolbassia Haoussou MBE, who fled persecution in his native Chad, has called on the UK to stand up to Donald Trump and not look the other way to prevent torture protections being chipped away
It is shocking that in the 21st century, we are once again seeing torture on the rise.
Authoritarian governments are clamping down on dissent, silencing activists and destroying lives. And now, Donald Trump is back in the White House – a President who has openly said torture “absolutely works”.
As someone who has survived torture, I know what those words mean. And these words carry real danger. A US President who ignores the absolute ban on torture gives regimes around the world a green light to abuse and oppress.
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For survivors like me, it is a painful reminder that our suffering is being ignored. And for those still at risk, it is a terrifying signal that the world may look the other way.
Trump’s second term begins just after the 40th anniversary of the United Nations Convention against Torture. A treaty that says, very clearly, torture is always wrong and always illegal. And yet, around the world, people are tortured simply for standing up for basic rights we take for granted: going to school, practising their religion, protesting peacefully, or voting.
At Freedom from Torture, we see every day the devastating impact torture has on people’s lives. Survivors carry deep psychological wounds. With specialist support, they can recover and rebuild their lives, but the harm lasts a lifetime. That is why we cannot allow any attempt to normalise torture – whether in Washington or here in the UK.
The US President holds immense power and how he uses it matters to people everywhere. In the past, that power has been used to strengthen human rights. But under Trump, we have already seen the opposite: attacks on the International Criminal Court, a critical accountability mechanism for the gravest of international crimes, and rhetoric that chips away at one of our most important red lines – the absolute ban on torture. These actions embolden dictators around the world to feel they can act with impunity and make the world less safe for all of us.
The UK cannot stand by silently. We must step up and speak clearly: torture is never acceptable. But to do so credibly, the UK must first get its own house in order. Under the previous government, we saw backsliding on the UK’s obligations under the torture ban. The introduction of legislation like the Overseas Operation Act, the Northern Ireland Troubles Act, and the National Security Act let perpetrators off the hook and denied justice to survivors. In recent weeks, we have seen shocking proposals by British politicians to send survivors back into the hands of torturers, in Afghanistan or elsewhere.
This Government has an opportunity to position the UK as a global leader in respect for human rights and the international rule of law at a time of serious geopolitical instability. It has never been more important that the UK Government leads by example on the world stage as a champion of the torture ban both at home and overseas, including when it involves our allies.
We must also remember the lessons of our own recent past and be on guard to avoid any repetition. After 9/11, the UK was complicit in the CIA’s torture and rendition programme. It must never be pulled down such a dark path again.
Now is the moment for the UK to show its mettle. The absolute ban on torture is one of humanity’s greatest achievements and it is under threat. The UK must be steadfast, bold and unflinching against any attempts to normalise or justify torture, no matter where they emerge.
Torture destroys lives. I know that better than most. Together we must stand firm in, defending human dignity at all costs. The world is watching.
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