torture
Torture refers to the infliction of severe pain and suffering, as punishment, as coercion, or for the purposes of obtaining information or a confession. Torture is prohibited by the United Nations Convention Against Torture , which has been ratified by 174 states .
As codified in the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court , torture is both a war crime and a crime against humanity .
[Last reviewed in June of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team ]
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