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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