Torture is the intentional and systematic infliction of physical or psychological pain and suffering in order to punish, intimidate or gather information. CVT uses the definitions of torture determined by the United Nations and the World Medical Association to determine who is eligible for services.

"...the term 'torture' means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity."
(Article I, United Nations Convention Against Torture, 1984)

“…torture is defined as the deliberate, systematic or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons acting alone or on the orders of any authority to force another person to yield information, to make a confession, or for any other reason.”
(World Medical Association, Declaration of Tokyo, 1975)

• Amnesty International has gathered recent reports of torture and ill-treatment from more than 150 countries.
  
• Torture is a crime against humanity; as a strategic tool of repression, it is the single most effective weapon against democracy.
  
• The purpose of torture is to control populations by destroying individual leaders and frightening entire communities.
  
• Torture is rarely used to extract information from someone.
  
• Torture is a low-technology enterprise, mostly carried out through beatings.
  
• Psychological torture usually involves various kinds of threats and multiple forms of deprivation.
  
• Torture occurs in a political context that frequently employs various oppressive and repressive forms of governance; many of these are highly traumatic.
  
• It is a fundamental human right to live without fear of torture.
  

Torture is not an effective means of interrogation and does not yield useful or truthful information. It is, however, a highly effective means of controlling populations: torture destroys leaders, disintegrates opposition and terrorizes communities. Torture is never acceptable.