The UN Convention against Torture came into force in 1987. Yet the practice has by no means been ended. In this wide-ranging volume, some of the world's leading authorities on torture assess the prospects for positive change. They look at the state of international law, including the criminal tribunals set up to examine genocide in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. They survey the continuing existence of torture worldwide, paying special attention to understanding its perpetrators, to the gendered stereotype of the torture victim as a male prisoner of conscience, and to the involvement of non-state actors in torture. They look at the treatment and rehabilitation of torture victims, both within the countries concerned and abroad, and the question of asylum. They examine the current state of the international struggle against torture, including the relatively new institution of truth commission, the role of NGOs, pressure by government and public opinion generally.

Foreword by: Nigel Rodley