Freedom from torture

Freedom from torture is an absolute human right: no emergency, public interest, or consent can justify torture or inhuman or degrading treatment. It binds state officials and requires prevention, effective investigation, accountability, and protection of persons in custody or other vulnerable settings. In Switzerland, the prohibition is grounded in constitutional and international obligations and is important in criminal justice, policing, prisons, asylum, and extradition. The non-refoulement aspect bars removal to a country where a person faces a real risk of prohibited ill-treatment.