UN Day In Support Of Torture Victims Marked

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) in partnership with Ghana Human Rights NGO�s Forum, has organised a symposium to commemorate the UN International Day in support of Torture Victims, in Accra. The forum, anchored on the theme: �Torture: Negation of Human Rights and Dignity�, called for major strategic steps and pragmatic solutions to curb the situation to protect the right to freedom. In a presentation on the above theme, Prof. Ken Attafuah, a human rights activist, expressed the view that torture is a great violation on human rights and dignity and said it mostly occurs in the form of severe beating and shaking, blindfolding, rape, deprivation of food, water and shelter and other instances of discomforts which account for recurring of nightmares and flash backs which constitutes a serious crime prohibited in the country. He said torture is one of the severest forms of human rights violations which are practiced in one third of many countries in the world and it is devastating to the growth of human rights in the society since it is a deliberate act to inflict injuries on individuals. Prof Attafuah explained that torture inflicted on children is often neglected but the act indirectly will affect the future of the country. He said it is pervasive in Ghanaian human culture and called for all hands on deck to end torture particularly on children. The Director of Amnesty International, Mr. Lawrence Amesu, touched on �Abolition of the Death Penalty in Ghana: Prospects and Challenges,� and stated that death penalties have long been in the statues of Ghana but has not been adhered to. He expressed the conviction that Amnesty International for more than three decades has been monitoring developments around the use of death penalty and has been campaigning for its abolishing. Mr Amesu gave instances where death penalty has been applied on many juveniles in other countries and explained that it violate human dignity which is a fundamental value in all human cultures. He added that since 1993, Ghana has been considered as an abolitionist as far as death penalty is concerned and expressed excitement that more youth have become interested in promoting human rights and are calling for the abolishing of the death penalty. Mr Amesu said so far, there has not been any intimidation or threats from the Ghana government and Ghana has become a conducive atmosphere to human rights work. He, therefore, called on the media, students, religions bodies and other stakeholders to join the fight against injustice.