Thread by @NilsMelzer

Thoughts on #TortureVictimsDay2021:

To me, #torture is the moral abyss of mankind;
the sacrifice of our humanity on the altar of our fears;
the total capitulation of our personal integrity and,
ultimately, nothing less that the end of civilization itself.
(1/7)

Those who know the reality of #torture, those who have suffered it, those who have inflicted it and those who have tried to heal the physical, mental and emotional wounds resulting from it, know that torture destroys deeply, utterly and irreversibly.
(2/7)

No one who has faced the ugly reality of #torture could ever still cling to the illusion of such abuse being compatible with humanity, with dignity, or with any notion of respectable and responsible human life.
(3/7)

#Torture destroys not only the physical, mental and emotional integrity of the victim, but also that of their torturer, and that of their families, and that of the societal system tolerating such abuse, and ultimately the moral and cultural integrity of humanity as a whole.
(4/7)

Any tolerance, complacency & acquiescence concerning the threat or use of #torture, however exceptional & well argued, inevitably leads down a slippery slope towards complete arbitrariness & brute force, ultimately ending in disgrace for all of humanity.
(5/7)

The responsibility to fight against #torture & uphold humanity falls on every single one of us right where we are in our lives. For it is us who elect or tolerate our leaders; turn a blind eye on our neighbour's suffering & remain silent in the face of injustice & impunity.
(6/7)

To do all we can and still to fail is one thing.
But to fail to do what we can is quite another.
Whatever the outcome: both speaking out & keeping silent will always come at a price.
As for me, I would rather pay the price for speaking out than the price for keeping silent!
(7/7)