World Medical Association Supports Doctors Refusing To Participate In Torture

Doctors around the world have been urged by a new World Medical Association Directive to resist any pressure to act contrary to their ethical principles.

At its 49th annual General Assembly which ended in Hamburg, Germany at the weekend, the WMA adopted the Declaration of Hamburg in support of doctors refusing to participate in, or to condone, the use of torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

The Declaration urged the WMA’s 70 national medical association members to support doctors experiencing difficulties as a result of their resistance to any such pressure or as a result of their attempts to speak out against inhumane procedures.

The WMA pledged to publicise any information about doctors reporting evidence of torture or information about attempts to involve doctors in such procedures.