Publications

State hostage-taking, where individuals are arbitrarily detained by foreign governments for diplomatic leverage, involves serious violations of human rights, including the right not to be subjected to torture and ill-treatment. It is widely accepted that the practice of State hostage-taking is increasing internationally. British nationals are among the most frequent targets of hostage-taking globally, and face some of the worse outcomes. This briefing outlines why the UK government should introduce a Special Envoy for Complex and Arbitrary Detentions with sufficient authority, resource, and mandate to lead diplomatic responses, while treating families as trusted partners.

Written evidence by REDRESS to the UK Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights on amending the International Criminal Court Act 2001 and the Criminal Justice Act 1988 through the Crime and Policing Bill to strengthen universal jurisdiction in the UK. The submission also covers how the Crime and Policing Bill presents a critical opportunity to strengthen the UK's ability to provide reparation for survivors of serious human rights violations by reforming the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

In this letter, REDRESS and 32 NGOs called on the Prime Minister to make clear to President al-Sisi that what happens to Alaa and his mother will have ramifications “both for Egypt’s reputation and standing on the international stage, and for the future of its relationship with Britain, including cooperation on tourism, trade, and investment.”

REDRESS' submission in response the the UK Foreign Affairs Committee's call for evidence, addressing how UK Parliament can most effectively conduct scrutiny of the FCDO's sanctions regimes, at what stage parliament should be consulted, and which aspects of sanctions policy would benefit most from broad and open discussion.

Ahead of the 6th Meeting of the European Political Community on 16 May 2025, REDRESS and 57 other rights organisations have written to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council António Costa to raise concern about the ongoing assault on the right to political participation, the right to assembly, freedom of expression, and the rule of law in Türkiye.

A joint letter to all States parties to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment on the 2025 elections to the United Nations Committee against Torture. The letter emphasises the importance of taking action to promote a balanced gender representation within the Committee, and lays out key criteria for selection of candidates to this election.

This briefing outlines how the UK's Crime and Policing Bill presents a critical opportunity to reform the UK’s approach to prosecuting international crimes and strengthen its universal jurisdiction laws. The UK currently lacks a robust legal framework to hold perpetrators of international crimes accountable, reflected in the fact that there have only ever been three successful prosecutions of international crimes in English courts. In 2023, REDRESS and the Clooney Foundation for Justice published a report highlighting important gaps in the UK’s legal system and proposing two straightforward legal changes to close these loopholes by amending the International Criminal Court Act 2001. These reforms would ensure that perpetrators can no longer visit or reside in the UK without fear of prosecution, allow for more prosecutions under universal jurisdiction, and prevent the UK from being a ‘safe haven’ for perpetrators. As this briefing outlines, the Crime and Policing Bill provides an ideal platform for these reforms.

The 11th edition of our bulletin highlights our recent work securing justice and reparation for survivors. It includes our ongoing efforts to urge the UK government to re-prioritise its anti-torture strategy and place survivors at the centre of its policies on justice and reparation, as well as our continued advocacy for the repurposing of frozen Russian assets to support victims of the war in Ukraine. The bulletin also features an interview with Claude Heller, Chair of the UN Committee Against Torture, reflecting on four decades of progress since the adoption of the Convention against Torture. We also celebrate the winners of the Innovative Lawyers Awards, which honour anti-torture champions driving bold, cutting-edge work across the movement.