What is the Istanbul Protocol?
The Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, in short the Istanbul Protocol, contains the first internationally recognised standards and procedures on how to recognise and document symptoms of torture in such a way that the findings can be used as evidence in court cases. As such, the Istanbul Protocol provides guidance for health and legal professionals who want to investigate whether or not a person has been tortured and report the findings to the relevant authorities. Initiated and coordinated by the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT) and Physicians for Human Rights USA (PHR USA), the Istanbul Protocol was developed by 75 experts from more than 40 organisations, including the IRCT. The Protocol was submitted to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the 9th of August 1999 and has subsequently been endorsed in resolutions of the former UN Human Rights Commission and the UN General Ass
