Torture is used in some cases as
a way to carry out interrogations and extract confessions or information.
Today, it is increasingly used as a means of suppressing political and
ideological dissent, or for punishing political opponents who do not share the
ideology of the ruling group.
In addition to torture, tens of
thousands of people detained in connection with conflicts "disappear"
each year, and are usually killed and buried in secret. Government forces
"take people into custody, hold them in secret, and then refuse to
acknowledge responsibility for their whereabouts or fate." This abduction
of persons is typically intended to secure information and spread terror. In
most cases, interrogations involve threats and torture, and those who are
arrested are subsequently killed. Corpses are buried in unmarked graves or left
at dumpsites in an attempt to conceal acts of torture and summary execution of
those in custody. Because people
disappear without any trace, families do not know whether their loved ones are
alive or dead.
..............Done by Faith Gabriella.
