Haunted by Tales of Torture - Alice Jill Edwards - UN Special Rapporteur on Torture

Awake At Night

Dr. Alice Jill Edwards spends many of her days listening to the testimonies of torture victims. Now the UN’s Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, she works towards a world in which torture is finally a thing of the past.

“I do remember the faces of most of the people I've met, and in fact, they keep me going in this work. And at the same time, of course, their stories haunt me.”

The United Nations Convention on Torture bans all forms of torture and other inhuman treatment, and yet these malpractices are on the rise worldwide in a mounting number of conflicts. In this episode, Dr. Alice Jill Edwards reflects on the challenge of holding states to their commitments, the visible and invisible scars torture leaves behind, and on the need to recharge without guilt.