Research and submissions

Our advocacy positions are informed by survivor accounts and detailed research – both into patterns of torture around the world documented by our clinicians and into the treatment of torture survivors in the UK asylum system. Find downloads for our flagship reports and policy submissions below.

We also collaborate on external research - visit our research collaboration page for information on submitting a proposal or our press office for media collaborations.

Our 2024 manifestos

Publication cover: Anti-torture manifesto

Anti-torture manifesto

Publication cover: A refugee rights manifesto

A refugee rights manifesto

Our reports: UK and survivors' rights

Fleeing a burning house front cover

Fleeing a burning house: Why torture survivors take dangerous journeys to seek protection in the UK (November 2022)

Beyond belief report cover

Beyond Belief: How the Home Office fails survivors of torture at the asylum interview (June 2020)

Lessons Not Learned Report, September 2019

Lessons Not Learned Report: The failures of asylum decision-making in the UK (September 2019)

Proving torture, demanding the impossible: Home Office mistreatment of medical evidence (full version, English, Nov 2016)

Proving torture, demanding the impossible: Home Office mistreatment of medical evidence (November 2016)

Proving torture, demanding the impossible: Home Office mistreatment of medical evidence (summary version, English, Nov 2016)

Proving torture, demanding the impossible: Home Office mistreatment of medical evidence (November 2016, summary version)

Poverty Barrier Report full

The Poverty Barrier: The Right to Rehabilitation for Survivors of Torture in the UK

Body of Evidence: Treatment of Medico-Legal Reports for Survivors of Torture in the UK Asylum Tribunal

Body of Evidence: Treatment of Medico-Legal Reports for Survivors of Torture in the UK Asylum Tribunal

Our reports: torture around the world

Democratic Republic of Congo

A tool to silence: torture to crush dissent in the Democratic Republic of Congo (front cover)

A tool to silence: torture to crush dissent in the Democratic Republic of Congo (November 2018)

Executive summary - A tool to silence: torture to crush dissent in the DRC (Nov 2018)

Executive summary - A tool to silence: torture to crush dissent in the DRC (Nov 2018)

Un Moyen de reduire au silence: la torture pour ecraser la contestation en Republique Democratique du Congo (Décembre 2018)

Un Moyen de reduire au silence: la torture pour ecraser la contestation en Republique Democratique du Congo (Décembre 2018)

Resume: Un Moyen de reduire au silence: la torture pour ecraser la contestation en Republique Democratique du Congo (Dec 2018)

Resume: Un Moyen de reduire au silence: la torture pour ecraser la contestation en Republique Democratique du Congo (Décembre 2018)

Survivor voices - A tool to silence: torture to crush dissent in the DRC (English version Dec 2018)

Survivor voices - A tool to silence: torture to crush dissent in the DRC (December 2018, English version)

Rape as torture in the DRC: sexual violence beyond the conflict zone (English version June 2014)

Rape as torture in the DRC: sexual violence beyond the conflict zone (June 2014)

Iran

Turning a blind eye: why the international community can no longer turn a blind eye to torture in Iran (Full version English Dec 2017)

Turning a blind eye: why the international community can no longer turn a blind eye to torture in Iran (December 2017)

Turning a blind eye: why the international community must no longer turn a blind eye to torture in Iran (Summary version, English Dec 2017)

Turning a blind eye: why the international community must no longer turn a blind eye to torture in Iran (December 2017, summary version)

"We will make you regret everything" -torture in Iran since the 2009 elections. Full version, English (March 2013)

"We will make you regret everything" -torture in Iran since the 2009 elections. Full version, English (March 2013)

"We will make you regret everything" -torture in Iran since the 2009 elections. Summary version, English (March 2013)

"We will make you regret everything" -torture in Iran since the 2009 elections. Summary version, English (March 2013)

Sri Lanka

Too little change: ongoing torture in security operations in Sri Lanka (front cover)

Too little change: ongoing torture in security operations in Sri Lanka (February 2019)

Too little change - ongoing torture in security operations in Sri Lanka (February 2019, Sinhala edition)

Too little change - ongoing torture in security operations in Sri Lanka (February 2019, Sinhala version)

Too little change - ongoing torture in security operations in Sri Lanka (February 2019, Tamil edition)

Too little change - ongoing torture in security operations in Sri Lanka (February 2019, Tamil version)

Tainted peace - torture in Sri Lanka since May 2009 English Full (Aug 2015)

Tainted peace - torture in Sri Lanka since May 2009 English Full (Aug 2015)

Tainted peace - torture in Sri Lanka since May 2009 English Summary (Aug 2015)

Tainted peace - torture in Sri Lanka since May 2009 English Summary (Aug 2015)

Tainted peace - torture in Sri Lanka since May 2009 Sinhala Summary (Aug 2015)

Tainted peace - torture in Sri Lanka since May 2009 Sinhala Summary (Aug 2015)

Tainted peace - torture in Sri Lanka since May 2009 Sinhala Summary (Aug 2015)

Tainted peace - torture in Sri Lanka since May 2009 Tamil Summary (Aug 2015)

What does success look like - why Sri Lankan torture survivors want an internationalised justice process

What does success look like - why Sri Lankan torture survivors want an internationalised justice process (February 2016)

Turkey

Torture in Turkey: past, present and future (English version in full, April 2017)

Torture in Turkey: past, present and future (English version in full, April 2017)

UK accountability for torture

Report cover for: Dangerous liaisons: UK partnerships with Chinese policing institutions linked to crimes against humanity in Xinjiang

Dangerous liaisons: UK partnerships with Chinese policing institutions linked to crimes against humanity in Xinjiang (2022)

Our submissions to government and international bodies: international

Freedom from Torture submission - election-related detention and torture in the Democratic Republic of Congo (June 2018)

Freedom from Torture letter to Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein - Universal Periodic Review of Sri Lanka (November 2017)

Freedom from Torture submission in relation to the third cycle Universal Periodic Review of Sri Lanka (March 2017)

Sri Lanka Update Post-conflict torture May 2016

What does success look like? Why Sri Lankan torture survivors want an internationalised justice process (February 2016)

Our submissions to government and international bodies: UK

Clinical harm caused by use of barracks to house asylum seekers - joint submission to Home Affairs Committee February 2021

Freedom from Torture submission against UK government proposals of impunity for British soldiers (October 2019)

Freedom from Torture submission to Windrush lessons learned review (February 2019)

Freedom from Torture asylum accommodation parliamentary briefing Westminster Hall (October 2018)

Freedom from Torture submission to Joint Committee for Human Rights inquiry into immigration detention (September 2018)

Freedom from Torture submission to the Joint Committee for Human Rights inquiry into immigration detention (August 2018)

Freedom from Torture parliamentary briefing on the immigration detention of vulnerable individuals (June 2018)

Freedom from Torture evidence submission to Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration on Adults at Risk in immigration detention (February 2019)

Freedom from Torture letter to Amber Rudd on the revised definition of torture (March 2018)

Freedom from Torture submission to the Independent Chief Inspector inquiry into asylum accommodation (March 2018)

Freedom from Torture submission to Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration inquiry into asylum accommodation (February 2019)

Freedom from Torture response to Consultation on proposed amendments to the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2016 (January 2017)

Freedom from Torture submission to the Home Affairs Select Committee inquiry into asylum accommodation (September 2016)

Freedom from Torture submission to the Home Affairs Select Committee inquiry into asylum accommodation (September 2016)

Freedom from Torture - from torture cell to therapy room - survivors’ journeys to rehabilitation (June 2016)

Freedom from Torture - myths, legends and paradox - the treatment of medical evidence in UK asylum system (October 2015)

SSO network response to House of Lords Select Committee Inquiry into Prevention of Sexual Violence in Conflict (September 2015)

Freedom from Torture submission to the Shaw Review (June 2015)

Freedom from Torture - Proving Torture - an ever-rising bar for medical evidence (2015)

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