This Friday 26 June, at 19.30, Action des Chrétiens pour l'Abolition de la Torture Luxembourg (ACAT) will hold an ecumenical vigil of solidarity with victims of torture at the Villa Pauly, on Boulevard de la Pétrusse in Luxembourg.
Entitled 'J’écris ton nom, victime de la torture d’hier et d’aujourd’hui' ('I write your name, torture victim of yesterday and today'), the vigil will include testimonies to be read out by two actors, Sophie Langevin and Denis Jousselin, meditations and music. The latter will involve instrumental pieces on the oud, a Middle Eastern string instrument similar to the lute, by Radostina Kostadinova.
ACAT, which has been present in Luxembourg since 1985, has chosen a highly symbolic venue for the event - the Villa Pauly, which was the Gestapo headquarters in Luxembourg during the war.
ACAT reports that at present, torture is still practised systematically by more than half the countries in the world. Europe itself has been associated with the use of torture, as revelations regarding the complicity of many European countries in the CIA's interrogation and torture operations have shown.
In light of this situation, ACAT has over the past few months been circulating a petition entitled 'Time to take torture seriously' (French version: 'On ne badine pas avec la torture'), addressed to the Luxembourg Government as it takes on the EU Council presidency. This action, which has the official support of Amnesty International Luxembourg, has to date been signed by over ten thousand people. The petition will be presented at the end of the vigil, and submitted to the Luxembourg Government on 29 June 2015.
