Avocats Sans Frontières France (ASF France), also known as Lawyers Without Borders France, has renewed its call for accountability for perpetrators of torture, justice for victims, and comprehensive support for survivors seeking to rebuild their lives.

In a statement marking the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, themed “End Impunity, Deliver Justice, Restore Dignity,” the organisation reaffirmed its solidarity with torture survivors across Nigeria and reiterated its commitment to ending torture through legal and institutional reforms.

ASF France noted that since 2009, it has worked to combat torture in Nigeria through legal aid, documentation, advocacy, and survivor support programmes.

The Country Director of ASF France in Nigeria, Angela Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, said the organisation has so far provided direct legal assistance to more than 1,000 victims of torture across the country, enabling many to obtain redress and reclaim their dignity through Nigerian courts and regional human rights mechanisms.

Despite these achievements, ASF France expressed concern that the Anti-Torture Act 2017 remains largely unimplemented more than eight years after it was signed into law.

According to the organisation, the continued absence of effective implementation has denied survivors the protection, compensation, and rehabilitation guaranteed under the Act.

ASF France, however, welcomed the recent update from the Federal Ministry of Justice that the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for the Anti-Torture Act have reached the gazetting stage.

“We hope this marks the beginning of the full implementation of the Anti-Torture Act. Without operational rules, investigations, prosecutions, and victim support mechanisms cannot function as intended.

“Perpetrators of torture must be held accountable if Nigeria is to break the cycle of impunity. Gazetting the IRR must be followed immediately by the training of law enforcement personnel, adequate funding for rehabilitation services, and visible prosecutions. Survivors cannot wait any longer for justice,” Uwandu Uzoma-Iwuchukwu said.

To mark this year’s International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, ASF France called on the Federal Government to expedite the gazetting and enforcement of the Anti-Torture Act’s Implementing Rules and Regulations, ensure independent investigations and prosecution of alleged perpetrators, and establish adequately funded medical, psychosocial, and legal support services for survivors.

The organisation stressed that torture is a crime under both Nigerian and international law, adding that honouring survivors requires translating legal provisions into concrete action.

ASF France is an international non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting human rights and access to justice. In Nigeria, the organisation implements the eRIGHTS and anti-torture programmes, providing free legal aid to victims of torture and other human rights violations.