Det Internationale Rehabiliteringsråd for Torturofre (IRCT) har holdt generalforsamling. Der var genvalg til de ledende skikkelser fredag den 8. december.
Set i lyset af den fhv. chilenske præsident og diktator, Augusto Pinochets, død på FNs Menneskerettighedsdag, den 10. December, er det værd at bemærke, at Chiles tidligere præsident Allendes livlæge, Dr José Quiroga, blev genvalgt som vicepræsident i IRCT.
Også IRCTs palæstinensiske præsident, Dr. Abdel Hamid Afana, og den danske repræsentant i bestyrelsen, Niels Krustrup fra RCT-Jylland, blev genvalgt.
Efter at Pinochet havde skubbet den demokratisk valgte præsident Allende fra magten ved et blodigt kup efterfulgt af systematisk tortur og massedrab, flyttede Allendes livlæge José Quiroga til USA, hvor han siden har arbejdet for rehabilitering af torturofre.
De mange chilenske torturofre, som flygtede fra Pinochet til de nordiske lande, var vigtige medspillere, da IRCT grundlægger, den danske læge Inge Genefke, startede sit arbejde i Danmark for rehabilitering af torturofre i 1970erne.
Ny i IRCTs bestyrelse er Ronald Amilcar Solis Sea, Guatemala, og Dr Mohamud Sheikh Nurein Said, MD, Kenya. Professor Sebnem Korur Fincanci, Tyrkiet, blev nyudnævnt som uafhængig ekspert i bestyrelsen. Professor Vivienne Nathanson, Storbritannien, fortsætter i en tilsvarende position.
IRCT har sendt den følgende pressemeddelelse ud i anledning af valget til bestyrelsen.
IRCT: Governments must fulfil torture victims’ rights
The world’s leading movement for rehabilitation of torture survivors elects new president to spearhead its global work.
The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims has re-elected Palestinian Psychologist Dr. Abdel Hamid Afana as President.
Immediately after his election Dr Afana called on all governments to honour their obligation to ensure torture survivors’ right to reparation, including rehabilitation.
“All governments are legally obliged to provide adequate redress to torture survivors. But the harsh reality is that only a fraction of the world’s torture victims receive the services they are entitled to according to international law,” said Dr Afana.
Pointing out that over 100 governments continue to practice torture systematically, he underlined the massive need for more treatment facilities, particularly in areas of conflict and post-conflict, where the number of victims often reaches staggering heights.
“The current level of government commitment is simply too low. Tens of thousands of torture survivors across the world are left without any possibility for receiving the treatment and support they need to return to life after suffering unimaginable abuse,” said Dr Afana.
The IRCT – a health professional umbrella organisation covering 130 treatment centres and programmes in 80 countries – is the world’s leading movement providing torture survivors with medical and psychological treatment as well as legal and social support.
“We have 20 years of experience, and each year we help an estimated 100,000 primary and secondary torture survivors. But many of our treatment centres lack funding to sustain their work. There is an urgent need to expand their capacity and to establish new centres,” Dr Afana stressed.
In Berlin on 8 December the IRCT General Assembly held elections for a new Council, which then elected an Executive Committee and re-elected Dr Afana as President. Dr Afana has been on the IRCT Executive Committee for three years and has served as President of the organisation since November 2005. The new Executive Committee comprises the following persons:
President: Dr Abdel Hamid Afana, Psychologist, Palestine
Vice-President: Dr José Quiroga, MD, United States
Member: Director Niels Krustrup, Denmark
Member: Mr Ronald Amilcar Solis Sea, Guatemala
Member: Dr Mohamud Sheikh Nurein Said, MD, Kenya
Independent Expert: Professor Vivienne Nathanson, MD, United Kingdom
Independent Expert: Professor Sebnem Korur Fincanci, Forensic Expert, Turkey
For more information, please contact IRCT Head of Communication, Tomas Kristiansen on phone 22 18 50 57
