President pays tribute to victims of torture
Ireland should neither accept nor support torture in whatever form – that was the message from President Michael D Higgins at an event to mark UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, organised by the Spiritan Asylum Services Initiative (Spirasi) in Dublin’s Kilmainham Gaol on 26 June.
The President said: “It is important that we reiterate, again and again, that torture should never, and must never, be justified or allowed by any society that claims to be enlightened, to care about the dignity of the human person, to be fair.”
He said Irish people should do more to ensure that those who violate human rights in Ireland or elsewhere in the world are brought to justice.
President Higgins praised organisations working with victims of torture such as Spirasi for providing hope and support to torture survivors who have come to Ireland seeking asylum.
“It’s a sobering thought to realise that, since its establishment in 1999, Spirasi has provided rehabilitative supports to over 3,200 survivors of torture from over one hundred different countries.”
