With Trump back, the UK must show global leadership against torture

It is devastating that in the 21st century we’re seeing the acceptance of torture rising around the world. Authoritarian governments continue to clamp down on dissent and use torture to silence activists and destroy lives. And now, the US has re-elected a President who has advocated torture, and previously spoken publicly about how he believes torture “works”.

As someone who works with survivors of torture, I know that President Trump’s statements are not only wrong but extremely dangerous. His re-election may be seen as a green light by torturing states around the world, and we should all be very concerned.

President Trump’s re-entry to the White House follows the 40th anniversary of the United Nations Convention against Torture, a landmark document in the fight against torture. But shockingly, torture is on the rise. Time and time again, we’re seeing authoritarian regimes show how willing they are to use torture as a tool to silence and to repress in countries such as Afghanistan and Iran, from which survivors of torture in the UK often seek sanctuary.

At Freedom from Torture, as a campaigning organistion working with survivors who are fighting for change, we understand firsthand of the dangers of narratives that attempt to normalise torture. Such sentiment increases the risk of torture to people who, for instance, stand up against repressive regimes, fight for the basic rights we take for granted everyday like going to school or practicing our own religion, or who participate in peaceful protests. These are all reasons that people are tortured.

We don’t know what President Trump’s second term will hold but it is vital that countries like the UK affirm their commitment to the absolute prohibition on torture, in both words and action, and make clear that they expect all States, including allies, to do the same.

But to be able to demonstrate credible global leadership, the UK must get its own house in order. A recent backsliding on compliance with the torture ban has seen UK laws introduce that deny justice to survivors and let torturers and murderers off the hook.

The Overseas Operations Bill, was the previous UK government’s attempt toto make prosecutions for some of the gravest international crimes including torture virtually impossible after just five years. Thanks to a tireless campaign by survivors of torture and their allies, the worst aspects of this bill were removed before it was passed into law. But the Overseas Operations Act remains a shameful piece of legislation that limits survivors’ access to justice and should be scrapped.

The new government must seize the opportunity to deal with this and other laws such as the Northern Ireland Troubles Act and the National Security Act, which have severely undermined the UK’s legitimacy as a defender of the torture ban by denying survivors access to justice and providing perpetrators with impunity..

The US’s global influence cannot be underestimated. Any shift in political dialogue that moves away from preventing and ending torture towards attempting to legitimise it, takes us further from a world in which torture is relegated to the history books. There is never an excuse for torture. It is never justified and always illegal. There are no exceptions.

Now, more than ever before, the UK must show global leadership as an unwavering champion of the torture ban. Lives and security around the world depend on it.