Unit for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture: Difference between revisions

Unit for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture (URVT) is a specialised unit to assist victims of torture by providing them with multidisciplinary treatment and rehabilitation services. It was launched in 2006 and runs since under [[Future Worlds Center]]. URVT is currently funded by the [[UNVFVT]] (United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture).

Unit for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture’s (URVT) mission is to support and promote the empowerment and rehabilitation of people who have been subjected to torture, inhumane, degrading treatment or punishment in their country of origin and/or in Cyprus. Victims are mainly refugees and asylum seekers, and at times victims of trafficking. URVT’s aim is to assist victims and their families to rehabilitate and to integrate into the local society.

URVT adopted a holistic approach to rehabilitation offering a full range of services, including psychological support and rehabilitation; legal counselling and assistance throughout the asylum procedures; and social counselling during the rehabilitation process. The URVT team works alongside the UNHCR funded project [[Strengthening Asylum]]. URVT also works on raising awareness among the local community on torture related issues.

URVT operates according to the standards of the Istanbul Protocol - United Nations Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment - and its services are offered to the beneficiaries by specialised, experienced, and well-trained personnel.

 

The Unit for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture (URVT) is a project, which aims to support and promote the empowerment and rehabilitation of torture victims and victims of trafficking who are asylum seekers or persons granted with international protection status in Cyprus and to assist them to integrate into the local society. To that end it takes a holistic approach, offering medical and psychological care, legal advice and social assistance to the persons of concern and their families. Its services are facilitated through a structure designed on the standards of the Istanbul Protocol - United Nations Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and its services are offered to the beneficiaries by specialized, experienced and well-trained personnel. URVT furthermore works closely with a network of volunteer service providers, medical professionals and interpreters.

URVT currently operates under the Humanitarian Affairs Unit of Future Worlds Center, (legally registered as CNTI). One of the most important beliefs of the Future Worlds Center is that by befriending and understanding people of different cultures, backgrounds and experiences, the future world becomes a better place.

==Our Mission

URVT’s mission is to:

The Manual on Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, commonly known as the Istanbul Protocol is the first set of international guidelines for documentation of torture and its consequences. It became an official United Nations document in 1999. The Istanbul Protocol is intended to serve as a set of international guidelines for the assessment of persons who allege torture and ill treatment, for investigating cases of alleged torture, and for reporting such findings to the judiciary and any other investigative body.

"...the term 'torture' means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity." (Article I, United Nations Convention Against Torture, 1984)

"...torture is defined as the deliberate, systematic or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons acting alone or on the orders of any authority to force another person to yield information, to make a confession, or for any other reason." (World Medical Association, Declaration of Tokyo, 1975).

The Unit for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture is dedicated to helping victims of torture and their families rebuild their lives, regardless of race, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or economic or legal status.

Who is a victim of torture?

Victims of torture in Cyprus are mainly asylum seekers. Hence, their protection and needs are met mainly by the Cyprus Refugee Law 2000. In accordance to the Refugee law as well as Cyprus' EU and International obligations the element of torture must be examined and taken into consideration when examining an asylum seeker's application for asylum. The victims that are treated by URVT are asylum seekers and persons granted with international protection status, and are referred to us by the Asylum Service or the Reviewing Authority for Refugees, Ministry of Interior, which are the competent authorities that examine asylum claims. The referral is based on an obligation stipulated in the Cyprus Refugee Law (Article 15) according to which when an applicant claims torture or where it is suspected that a person is a victim of torture or in the case where there is strong indication that a person is a victim of torture, the competent authority must refer him/her for medical examination. Currently referrals for medical examination are brought before a Medical Committee, which consists of public doctors. After it is certified that a person is a victim of torture then he/she is referred to URVT for rehabilitation. URVT also offers rehabilitation services to asylum seekers or persons granted with international protection status, who are victims of trafficking.

Torture victims arriving in Cyprus are mainly, Kurds from Turkey, Kurds from Syria, Syrians (Arab), Iranians, Palestinians. We have also had cases from Cameroon, Sierra Leone and Pakistan. URVT follows the definition on torture and the procedures as stipulated in the Istanbul Protocol.

    2008 Human Rights Report Cyprus

    About_refugees_IDPs_and_torture1

    Amnesty International Report 2008 State of the World

    CIN

    FOLLOW-UP REPORT ON CYPRUS

    istanbul-protocol

    NEW ISSUES IN REFUGEE RESEARCH

    UN Convention against Torture

    UNHCR trafficking

    Universal Declaration of Human Rights

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

==Our Staff==

Larry began with FWC in 2005 as a graduate student intern from Portland State University. From 2006-2008 he performed the duties of Project Coordinator and Program Developer. In 2009 Larry became the Head of the Humanitarian Affairs Unit which implements the projects "Unit for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture" and the "“Strengthening Asylum for Refugees and Asylum-seekers in Cyprus” as the implementing partner of UNHCR in Cyprus. Larry also acts as media consultant/expert for FWC because of his long history working in media related matters.

==Our Sponsors==

The Unit also receives since May 2009 a supplementary fund from the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture (UNFVT), which aims to support and promote the empowerment and rehabilitation of torture victims with a focus on refugees and asylum seekers. This fund is to be concluded on 1st June 2010.