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The Price of Speaking Up

Today we share the story of Hagir from Sudan, where generations of women have faced violence and persecution for challenging discrimination and demanding equal rights. Under the former regime, speaking up could come at a high cost: detention, torture, intimidation or exile. Hagir knows that price firsthand. Tortured as a child and again as a young activist, she refused to be silenced. Today, she continues her work in support of democracy, women's rights and equal opportunities. Her story is a powerful reminder that behind discussions on human rights are real people who have paid a heavy personal price for standing up for their beliefs.

Hagir-Elsheikh
© Jonathan Banks

 

Her story is one of many.

Hagir's experience highlights the realities faced by survivors of torture and repression around the world. While every story is unique, they all point to the same reality: torture continues to be used to silence voices, spread fear and suppress fundamental freedoms.

The European Union is firmly committed to combating torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment wherever it occurs. Torture is prohibited under international law in all circumstances and can never be justified.

Supporting survivors is an essential part of that commitment. Together with partners around the world, the EU has supported more than 12,000 survivors of torture and serious human rights violations over the past two years, helping them access rehabilitation, seek justice and rebuild their lives. The EU also works closely with human rights defenders, journalists and civil society organisations who continue to speak out despite threats, intimidation and repression.

At the same time, the EU is working to address the systems that enable torture. As founding co-chair of the Global Alliance for Torture-Free Trade, together with Argentina and Mongolia, the European Union leads international efforts to stop the trade in goods used for torture and the death penalty. More than 60 countries have joined the Alliance - most recently Andorra and Monaco - committing to strengthen export controls, support enforcement efforts and cooperate to prevent abusive equipment from reaching those who would use it to inflict harm.

This builds on decades of EU action. More than twenty years ago, the European Union pioneered the world's first Anti-Torture Regulation, restricting trade in goods that can be used for torture, capital punishment and other forms of ill-treatment. The legislation has since been strengthened to respond to new developments and to help ensure that tools designed to inflict pain are not treated as ordinary commercial products.

The EU further continues to champion the global fight against torture through the United Nations and other international fora, supporting accountability, promoting international standards and advocating for the protection of fundamental freedoms.

In this context, Hagir's story is a reminder of the price that many people still pay for speaking up. It is also a reminder of why sustained international action matters. Supporting survivors, protecting human rights defenders, preventing the trade in torture equipment and strengthening accountability are all part of the same effort: ensuring that human dignity, freedom and human rights are protected for everyone, everywhere.

A reliable partner. And that's the whole point.