Remedies for Victims of torture in Ethiopia: The Law and Practice

Abstract

In the world we are living in though many countries made significant strides in combating torture, governments around the world are still using torture to extract information, force confessions, silence dissent or simply as a cruel form of punishment. However, freedom from torture is an absolute right and it is guaranteed under the supreme law of the land, the FDRE constitution as well as international and regional human rights instruments ratified by Ethiopia. In spite of its absolute nature it is among the rights most repeatedly violated throughout the country. Indeed, it officially revealed by the new prime minister in his speech to a parliament. The impacts of torture are not limited to victims of torture it also affects the whole life of their families and the community at large. What makes the problem worse the available legal frameworks for remedies scattered in both criminal and civil legislations are in adequate and rationally incompatible with international standards and practices concerning remedies for victims of torture. Despite the acknowledgment of the prime minister victims of torture in Ethiopia lacks appropriate, prompt and effective remedy. Based on the collected data from interviews with key informant officials/personalities, victims of torture and their families, and careful and critical analysis of the existing domestic laws and ratified human rights instruments as well as after reviewing related literatures and reports of human rights organizations the study finds out that there is lack of practical applicability of diverse types of remedies for victims of torture in our country due to different challenges that ranges from victims fear to lack of comprehensive legal frameworks