Publications

This Casebook presents significant legal challenges brought before UK courts and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) involving the UK. It does not attempt to provide an exhaustive overview of all UK cases concerning torture or other ill-treatment. It highlights a curated selection of cases that demonstrate how litigation has shaped the interpretation and application of the UK’s obligations under both domestic and international law, and how it has contributed to the development of legal standards aimed at preventing and responding to torture and other ill-treatment. The Casebook aims to offer a practical and accessible resource for those working in the UK and internationally to support litigation, policy reform, and strengthen protections against torture.  

This guide helps victims and affected communities in Libya navigate the International Criminal Court proceedings and gain a better understanding of their rights before the Court. It explains the role of the ICC in the situation in Libya, what are the different phases of ICC proceedings, in which stage the Libya investigation is, and the type of reparations victims may be entitled to. Also available in Arabic. The guide was written with Lawyers for Justice in Libya and developed as part of our work in the Global Initiative against Impunity, co-funded by the European Union.

This VRWG briefing note offers recommendation ahead of the confirmation of charges hearing against Khaled Mohammed Ali El Hishri on 19 May 2026 at the ICC, drawing on lessons from the confirmation of charges hearing in the case of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

The REDRESS 2030 Strategy sets out our priorities for 2026–2030 in response to the challenges facing the anti-torture movement and our areas of expertise. Our work will focus on five programmes: Justice and Reparation; challenging torture linked to Dissent and Discrimination; and strengthening the anti-torture movement through our Solidarity Programme. We will also develop new initiatives to challenge the torture of climate defenders and journalists, expose abuses against refugees and migrants, advance financial accountability and reparation funds to provide reparation to survivors, and promote survivor participation and movement-building.

Our Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Sanctions Mid-Year Update provides an overview of recent developments in the United States’ (U.S.), United Kingdom’s (UK), European Union’s (EU), Canada’s, and Australia’s use of their targeted human rights and anticorruption sanctions programmes from 1 July 2025 to 31 December 2025.

This Casebook catalogues leading cases against torture used to silence dissent, intimidate human rights defenders and journalists, and target protesters and political dissidents. It covers cases across the globe that used strategic litigation and that serve as examples of the potential of creative litigation to transform the law, prompt policy reforms, and trigger broader practical changes. It tells the stories of 26 cases brought before different jurisdictions such as the IACtHR, the ACHPR, the ACtHPR, the ECOWAS Court, the ECtHR, and UN treaty bodies and Special Procedures, including the CEDAW Committee and the UN WGAD. This is the second casebook in our series cataloguing leading strategic cases against torture. The Torture Litigation Casebook series showcases around 80 case studies of strategic litigation against torture from around the world to illustrate best practices and to help lawyers and activists prepare for litigation.     

When British nationals are unfairly detained or facing human rights abuses abroad they – and their constituency MPs – expect the Government to act. Yet, in the UK, consular assistance is discretionary, not a legal right. In its manifesto, Labour promised to introduce a right to consular assistance. But two years on, the Government has done nothing to deliver on that commitment. This briefing lays out why the UK Government should introduce a legal right to consular assistance for British nationals who are arbitrarily detained or facing serious human rights abuses abroad.

This briefing paper presents the perspectives of survivors of torture and other serious human rights violations during Bangladesh’s July/August 2024 uprising. It examines their experiences, priorities, and barriers related to justice, accountability, and reparation, to inform survivor‑centred reparation initiatives aligned with international human rights standards. The information in this briefing is based on 2025 interviews with 80 survivors conducted by the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) using UN-based tools adapted to Bangladesh. The interviews documented violations suffered, survivor profiles, justice priorities, and expectations of reparation.