Dietary torture

The use of food and drink to torture people is quite common. Prisoners are given inadequate or no food or drink. Soapy or salt water or urine may be the only liquid available to the victim. In other cases, victims are forced to drink large quantities of water. They may be forced to eat excrement. Religiously or culturally forbidden foods, like pork for Jews or Muslims or meat for Hindus may be served after long periods of starvation.

Dietary torture has been reported in the following countries:

Cameroon, Djibouti, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania UR, Uganda, Zaire

Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, El Salvador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia

Italy, USSR, UK, Yugoslavia