This publication is kept for reference purposes. Please see the updated 2023 version.

This Manual, better known as the Istanbul Protocol, is intended to serve as international guidelines for the assessment of persons who allege torture and ill-treatment, for investigating cases of alleged torture and for reporting findings to the judiciary or any other investigative body. The documentation methods contained in this manual are also applicable to other contexts, including human rights investigations and monitoring, political asylum evaluations, the defence of individuals who “confess” to crimes during torture and needs assessments for the care of torture victims, among others. The Manual includes annexes with principles of effective investigation and documentation; diagnostic tests; anatomical drawings for the documentation of torture and ill-treatment; and guidelines for the medical evaluation of torture and ill-treatment.