Definitions: What is torture?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
San Diego, California, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) August 17, 2010 -- TORTURE is a serious violation of human rights and is strictly prohibited by international law. the use of torture strikes at the very heart of civil and political freedoms. It was one of the first issues dealt with by the UN in its development of human rights standards. International law prohibits torture and other forms of inhuman and degrading treatment, which cannot be accepted under any circumstances.

The term "torture" means any act, by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions.

Sexual and Gender Based Violence is any act of violence committed against a person, female or some times male that can or causes physical, psychological and/ or sexual injury or pain including threatening, arbitrary constraint or deprivation of liberty, either in public or private lives, during peaceful or conflict times.

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