Association For Victims Of Torture
In UAE (AVT-UAE)
Founded in 2017, the Association for victims of UAE is a Geneva-based non-governmental human rights organisation which works to help victims of torture and ill-treatment in the UAE and intends to provide a space for dialogue between individuals who have been subjected to torture in the United Arab Emirates. The Association also works with the international human rights mechanisms and the universal jurisdiction to fight impunity and put an end to torture and ill-treatment.
Vision
Torture And The Ill-Treatment Of Detainees Remain Common In The United Arab Emirates
Torture and the ill-treatment of detainees remain common in the United Arab Emirates, despite the country’s ratification of international conventions as the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment in 2012. Both Emirati citizens and foreign nationals continue to be subjected to severe acts of torture, with victims including human rights defenders, political activists and peaceful dissidents. Despite their international obligations, the Emirati authorities do not conduct independent investigations into detainees’ allegations of torture, and these acts continue to be committed with complete impunity. In addition, confessions extracted under torture are frequently used as evidence at trial. As these serious human rights abuses and violations of international law continue unabated, it is more important than ever to join forces. This organisation, founded in 2018 and based in Geneva, brings together every victim who has been subjected to torture by the Emirati authorities. Its main purpose is to combine efforts to fight against impunity, and to support victims in their quest for justice by offering legal assistance, raising awareness of the situation in the media, and filing complaints based on the principle of universal jurisdiction. « Giving a voice to the victims is crucial to put an end to these violations and to the impunity of their perpetrators »
Mission
• To denounce torture and human rights violations in the UAE and fight impunity from which the perpetrators benefit, and, ultimately, to put an end to this practice;
• To create a space for dialogue between individuals who have been subjected to torture in the UAE;
• To offer legal support to victims.
AVT UAE documents the use of torture in the UAE by gathering information from different sources, including the testimonies of victims, lawyers and family members, UN experts as well as NGOs. It creates a network of victims and a space for dialogue between them.