I Was the UN Torture Investigator; in Gaza, Politics Decides Who Counts
Summary
Alice Jill Edwards, who served as the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture from 2022 to 2026, argues that political loyalties can lead institutions to investigate and recognize allegations of torture and other atrocities unevenly. She calls for independent, impartial and prompt investigations of all allegations, regardless of the victims or accused, and says crimes by one party do not excuse crimes by another.Key Facts
- Edwards says survivors often face uncertainty about whether their accounts will be believed, investigated and lead to justice.
- The article says Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups killed about 1,200 people in Israel on October 7, 2023, committed rape and other sexual violence, and took 251 people hostage.
- The article says about one-third of the hostages never came home alive.
- Edwards says Palestinians in Gaza have suffered tens of thousands of deaths and injuries, mass displacement, and widespread destruction of homes and buildings.
- The article states that international law prohibits torture absolutely and that the prohibition applies regardless of the victim or perpetrator.
- Edwards says investigations into alleged torture must be independent, impartial, prompt and effective.
- She warns that political pressure and investigative tunnel vision can shape whose evidence is collected and whose testimony is believed.
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