The absolute prohibition of torture is an unconditional and immeasurably important idea of modern constitutionalism and international human rights law. It is not merely a norm enshrined in Article 3 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, but also the philosophical foundation of the functioning of the modern state: a…
Category: Torture
The Use of Sound Weapons Against Peaceful Demonstrators as a Threat to Human Rights and a Factor Undermining Trust in the Police (Đorović and Others v. Serbia)
On 15 March 2025, Belgrade saw one of the largest peaceful demonstrations in Serbia’s recent history, the culmination of a protest movement that had been building for months after the collapse of a concrete canopy at the railway station in Novi Sad in November 2024, in which people died. Students and a significant part of…
“Proper” Torture: How Ukrainian Society Is Learning to Justify Torture, or the Case of the Odesa Detention Center as a Window into the Abyss
The incident that occurred in the Odesa pre-trial detention centre (SIZO) and that, in a very strange way, came to light and drew the attention of the entire society, is telling and extremely important. Not because it is unique – on the contrary, because it is mundane. It demonstrates the abyss that Ukrainian society has…
Absolute Prohibition in Relative Application: Institutional Impunity for Torture in Ukraine (2022–2026)
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally transformed the country’s social and legal landscape. Yet what proved truly alarming was not only the external aggressor — inside the state itself, mechanisms of violence inherited from previous decades continued to operate. Torture in police stations, abuse in penitentiary facilities, beatings of conscripts within Territorial Recruitment and…
“No Face, No Responsibility? International Standards for Identifying Officials and the Practice of Mobilisation Detentions
In contemporary Ukrainian public discourse, the issue of actual detentions and the use of physical force by employees of territorial recruitment and social support centers (hereinafter referred to as TRC) against men in the process of mobilisation measures is increasingly being raised. As evidenced by numerous videos recorded by eyewitnesses, TRC employees systematically conceal their…
Training for Trainers on Human Rights Protection in Places of Detention
On 4-5 December 2025 The Centre for European Constitutional Law (CECL), in partnership with the European Prison Litigation Network and the Human Rights Centre ZMINA, hosted a specialised Training of Trainers on the Protection of Fundamental Rights in Detention in Athens. The two-day intensive programme formed part of the DIGNITY project, an initiative co-funded by…
At Least 120 Injured in Clashes as Thousands Demand Action on Cartel Violence
Massive protests swept through Mexico City on Saturday, resulting in violent clashes that injured at least 120 people, including 100 police officers. The demonstrations, organized primarily by Gen Z youth groups, focused on escalating violent crime and dissatisfaction with President Claudia Sheinbaum’s handling of cartel violence. The Spark: Mayor’s Assassination The protests were catalyzed by…