Hostage-taking as torture: Alice Edwards’ report to the UN Human Rights Council

The report A/HRC/58/55 entitled Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment: hostage-taking as torture, prepared by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Jill Edwards, was submitted to the Human Rights Council in its fifty-eighth session[1] (24 February-4 April 2025). The report addresses the phenomenon of hostage-taking through the lens of the absolute prohibition of torture. It aims to reinforce international legal frameworks, raise awareness of the psychological and physical harms associated with hostage-taking, and provide recommendations for States, non-State actors, and international bodies (Edwards, 2025). [1] Edwards, A. J. (2025). Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment: hostage-taking as torture (A/HRC/58/55). United Nations Human Rights Council. https://www.ohchr.org.