Launch of the Global Torture Index – An Innovative Tool to Combat Torture Worldwide

The Geneva press club and the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) are pleased to invite you to a press conference with :

• Claudia Samayoa, OMCT President
• Gerald Staberock, OMCT Secretary General
• Dr. Uju Agomoh, Founder/Director of PRAWA, Nigeria, Global Torture Index Steering Committee Chair
• Veronica Hinestroza, Advisor on International Human Rights Law, Associate Expert Omega Research Foundation, Latin America, Global Torture Index Steering Committee member
• Henri Tiphagne, Executive Director of People’s Watch-HRDA, India, Global Torture Index Steering Committee member

To participate, please use the links below :

The press conference will be held in English. Questions may be asked in French and German.

Program :

10:00 AM – Coffee
10:30 AM to 11:30 AM – Press Conference
Until noon – Possible interviews

The Global Torture Index, a pioneering initiative by the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) and partners, is poised to revolutionize the global fight against torture. 

Despite 175 countries ratifying the UN Convention Against Torture, this grave violation of human rights persists in prisons, public assemblies, armed conflicts, and daily police interventions. Torture remains shrouded in secrecy, making it difficult to detect and eradicate.

This innovative tool, developed in collaboration with over 200 local civil society organizations that form the SOS-Torture Network, human rights defenders, and consulted with international experts, provides robust, data-driven insights and trend analysis into the risk of torture and ill-treatment across countries. The Global Torture Index map will serve as a critical resource for policymakers, governments, media, and activists, offering actionable recommendations, measuring progress and regression on human rights compliance, identifying good practices and fostering global awareness.

Journalists are invited to discover how this tool will empower the global anti-torture movement, bring torture out of the shadows, and drive meaningful change.

For media inquiries, contact:
Francesca Pezzola, fpe@omct.org, OMCT Director of Communications