PRESS RELEASE 26 June 2016 – 1 page
Saddam’s Legacy: The Forgotten Sufferings of Torture Survivors in Iraq With the country on the brink of collapse, and all eyes on the terrorist group ISIS as well as the neighboring Syrian civil war, the many remnants of Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship have vanished from the public agenda in Iraq. Among them are those who survived the dungeons of the Ba’ath regime, those who were subjected to torture and other inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. The Jiyan Foundation wants to make them visible again. Erbil – The Kurdistan Regional Government struggles to host more than 1.5 million internally displaced persons and 250,000 Syrian refugees; the Kurdish peshmerga troops are at war; the region has been hit by a severe economic crisis. Commemorating this year’s International Day in Support of Victims of Torture in Kurdistan-‐Iraq comes at a time when the attention on some issues has led to the total neglect of others. Survivors of torture and abuse under the Ba’athist rule are one of the groups whose demands, needs, and rights have become invisible. They suffer from physical impairments, psychological distress and trauma, isolation and social alienation. While their inability to work often causes poverty, their mental sufferings fuel domestic violence and dysfunctional family structures. They themselves lack the abilities and resources to claim their right to rehabilitation. National and international civil society actors and the media are therefore much-‐ needed forces that can actively help advance their cause. The Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights supports the 2016 theme "Support Life after Torture" of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims. Our ultimate goal is to restore survivors’ agency over their lives, for their torturers must not triumph in denying them human dignity. Jîyan is the Kurdish word for "life." The Jiyan Foundation supports survivors of human rights violations, promotes democratic values and defends fundamental freedoms in Kurdistan-‐Iraq. The Jiyan Foundation is supported by the German goverment, MISEREOR, the European Union, the United Nations, and private donors.
Press C ontact Salah Ahmad President Turmstrasse 21 10559 Berlin Germany Tel: +49 177 175 79 77 (Germany) Tel: +9 64 770 122 29 99 (Iraq) press@jiyan-‐foundation.org www.jiyan-‐foundation.org /jiyanfoundation