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| The United Nations Convention against Torture is 30 years old. Kolbassia Haoussou, a torture survivor, shares his story.
Click here to subscribe to The Economist on YouTube: http://econ.trib.al/rWl91R7 Over 160 states have signed the UN Convention against Torture sinces its adoption in 1984. Half of these countries still practice torture. In 2004, a failed coup d’etat took place in Kolbassia’s home country in central Africa. In response, state forces arrested anyone they suspected of involvement in the coup, including those who had refused to campaign for the government, such as Kolbassia. Kolbassia was held in a military camp for seven months without charge. He was regularly interrogated and tortured by prison guards. Kolbassia escaped the military camp and fled to Cameroon. He travelled to Britain on a cargo ship, claimed asylum and was granted refugee status in 2005. But his experiences in the camp continued to haunt him. Kolbassia co-founded Survivors Speak OUT, an activist network for survivors of torture, in 2007. Daily Watch: mind-stretching short films throughout the working week. For more from Economist Films visit: http://films.economist.com/ |
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