Cruel inhuman or degrading treatment

Cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment (CIDT) refers to actions that violate human rights and dignity but are legally distinct from torture. It is prohibited under international law by several treaties, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. While legal frameworks maintain a distinction between torture and CIDT, psychological studies suggest that both have similar harmful effects, leading some to advocate for abolishing this distinction.

Inhuman treatment includes serious physical assault, psychological interrogation, cruel detention conditions or restraints, abuse in healthcare settings, and threats of torture. Degrading treatment involves undignified and humiliating acts, with its impact influenced by factors like duration, physical and mental harm, and the victim's characteristics such as age, race, sex, or vulnerabilities.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights explicitly prohibits medical or scientific experimentation without free consent, classifying it as a form of torture or CIDT. This prohibition is non-derogable under international law, making such practices punishable under national penal codes for crimes related to torture and CIDT.

Sources cited include works by legal and psychological experts, highlighting the intersections between torture, CIDT, and human rights law. The distinction between inhuman and degrading treatment is legally maintained but often overlapping in practice, with both causing significant harm to victims.