While the past year has witnessed several rare convictions in cases of torture and police abuse, leading analysts and international media argue a potential heightened government intolerance of police brutality. Rights groups urge the authorities to take “more systematic steps” to rid the country of its alleged torture practices.
Once considered a taboo issue, hardly tapped by the media, the numerous high-profile cases of police abuse and torture combined with increased advocacy against the practices and a film about police brutality have spurred discussion on the topic.
But journalists, activists, and bloggers who have shed light on cases of torture were not beyond the reach of authorities.