United Nations: Special Rapporteur on torture warns about the inhumanity of ongoing conflicts
The 14th of October 2025 Alice Jill Edwards, the Special Rapporteur on torture, warned UN Member and Observer States of the atrocities and cases of torture that characterise the ongoing wars.
She stated: “What I have seen and heard from survivors in the past year is nothing short of shocking: men and women scarred by electric shocks, severe beatings, sexual violence, and the agony of being filmed while tortured, their suffering weaponised as propaganda, I remind all States that even in times of war, torture and other inhumane acts are prohibited.”
This statement comes only after 2 months since the report “Trends and developments in the global struggle to end torture” written by Edwards was presented to the General Assembly. In this report Edwards stated that there is a “dangerous resurgence of physical, psychological, and sexual torture, where cruelty has become a weapon of control and humiliation”, with documented violations in 15 armed conflicts.
The Special Rapporteur emphasised States’ obligations towards their own soldiers, underlining the need for allocating part of budgets to incorporate clear strategies to prevent torture through trainings, monitoring, etc.
The expert said “When wars eventually end, the hard work of recovery begins. Where torture has been used, that rebuilding takes longer — requiring patient rehabilitation, truth-telling, and accountability. Torture is never a legitimate military tactic; it is always a crime.”
Edwards also identified 10 additional global trends that characterise today’s conflicts: hostage taking, repression of political and religious dissidents, the use of experimental drug combinations in executions, corporal mutilation as criminal punishment, etc.
She further warned of “excessive use of force and the mismanagement of less-lethal weapons resulting in deaths and serious injuries” during protests.
Edwards concluded her warning stating that “The extent of the violations must not defeat our resolve to eradicate torture, even in these most trying of times”. “The antidote to torture is peace, justice and progress.”