OBJECTIVE: To shed light on a large but neglected human rights issue that can be termed passive participation in torture. This is a response to the rising number of statements from torture victims who claim that during their incarceration, medical personnel cooperated with the interrogators by sharing medical documents, giving false statements, and providing other indirect assistance to the interrogator. METHOD: Cases studies are used to demonstrate the existence of passive participation, as well as situations where the passivity has been addressed and improved. Extracts of international instruments and actions undertaken by associations are used to help the reader address issues around the passive participation in torture. RESULT: By reading this article medical professionals will be made aware that action can be undertaken with the help of existing international laws and policies. CONCLUSION: In the conclusion of the article a range of bullet-points is made available for medical professionals who want to address the issue of passive participation.
OBJECTIVE: To shed light on a large but neglected human rights issue that can be termed passive participation in torture. This is a response to the rising number of statements from torture victims who claim that during their incarceration, medical personnel cooperated with the interrogators by sharing medical documents, giving false statements, and providing other indirect assistance to the interrogator. METHOD: Cases studies are used to demonstrate the existence of passive participation, as well as situations where the passivity has been addressed and improved. Extracts of international instruments and actions undertaken by associations are used to help the reader address issues around the passive participation in torture. RESULT: By reading this article medical professionals will be made aware that action can be undertaken with the help of existing international laws and policies. CONCLUSION: In the conclusion of the article a range of bullet-points is made available for medical professionals who want to address the issue of passive participation.