[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 26 (Monday, July 4, 2005)]
[Page 1074]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of 
Torture

June 26, 2005

    On United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of 
Torture, the United States reaffirms its commitment to the worldwide 
elimination of torture. Freedom from torture is an inalienable human 
right, and we are committed to building a world where human rights are 
respected and protected by the rule of law.
    The United States is continuing to work to expand freedom and 
democracy throughout the world. We will seek and support the growth of 
democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, and 
we will help others find their own voice, attain their own freedom, and 
make their own way. Throughout the world, there are many who have been 
seeking to have their voices heard, to stand up for their right to 
freedom, and to break the chains of tyranny. Too many of those 
courageous women and men are paying a terrible price for their brave 
acts of dissent. Many have been detained, arrested, thrown in prison, 
and subjected to torture by regimes that fail to understand that their 
habits of control will not serve them well in the long term. America 
will not pretend that jailed dissidents prefer their chains or that 
women welcome humiliation and servitude or that any human being aspires 
to live at the mercy of bullies. All who live in tyranny and 
hopelessness can know: The United States will not ignore your oppression 
or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will 
stand with you.