White torture or white room torture does not directly attack the body: by assaulting the five senses or the psychological integrity of a person, it remains invisible to the naked eye but leaves indelible psychological traces. It is notably practised on political prisoners in Iran.

It can take many forms, ranging from the absence of any human contact to total sensory deprivation and even humiliation. The long-term consequences of this form of torture are often even more severe than those caused by physical torture. The United States resorted to white torture in the wake of the 11 September 2001 attacks. Since then, this method of torture has become increasingly widespread and sophisticated, in Iran and elsewhere. Little known and notoriously difficult to document, it must be strongly denounced. Lawyer and activist Narges Mohammadi, who has spent most of the last 13 years behind bars, has been subjected to this form of torture. She collected the testimonies of other Iranian victims in a poignant documentary, before being sentenced again in January 2022 to eight years in prison and 70 lashes. Narges Mohammadi has been in detention since 16 November 2021 while she serves the remainder of her previous sentence of 30 months in prison and 80 lashes.

JusticeLiberties & DemocracyMiddle East

French - English - Persian

Co-presented with the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)

“White Room Torture - Worst Punishments in the History of Mankind“ dans The Infographics Show, 27 août 2020.