June 26 marks the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. To commemorate the occasion, peaceful anti-torture rallies were held in Bern, Switzerland, and Vienna, Austria, calling on the international community to pay attention to allegations of torture and human rights abuses against religious believers in China. Large banners themed “Prohibition of Torture” were displayed at both events, introducing the principles of the United Nations Convention against Torture. Exhibits presented information compiled from survivors’ testimonies, human rights reports, and publicly available sources, outlining various alleged methods of torture, along with reconstructed illustrations based on witness accounts. The exhibition presented methods of abuse including electric shocks, suspension while handcuffed, handcuffing behind the back, severe beatings, exposure to extreme cold, burns from lit cigarette butts, stress positions, sleep deprivation, forced ingestion of irritating liquids, involuntary injections of psychiatric drugs, forced blood collection, and other invasive medical procedures. The displays also explained the lasting physical injuries, psychological trauma, and emotional harm these practices can inflict.
