UN criticised for failure to act on torture

GENEVA - A humanitarian official yesterday accused the United Nations of "shameful" indifference towards the use of torture, …

GENEVA - A humanitarian official yesterday accused the United Nations of "shameful" indifference towards the use of torture, a form of punishment she said was employed by one-third of the world's governments.

"There is a lack of interest in the UN," said Ms Inge Genefke, general secretary of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT). "This is really shameful."

"Our research has proved that torture is used in one-third of the countries in the world today because governments want to stay in power," Ms Genefke said.