The most effective way to show what it means to be involved in legal proceedings after having been exposed to torture is to give a voice to the survivors themselves. This report presents the personal perspectives of five torture victims from the Philippines, Turkey, Venezuela, Albania and the Democratic Republic of Congo, who have participated, or considered participating, in legal proceedings. Each story addresses a range of barriers dissuading torture survivors from pursuing the perpetrator and seeking redress and illustrates modalities and interventions that helped them to overcome these barriers. The stories also explore the survivors’ expectations, as well as the positive outcomes and traumatic experiences that are often encountered when a torture survivor pursues justice. Seeking justice against his perpetrators: The story of Randy from the Philippines Arrested, blindfolded, beaten and stabbed. Twenty-seven year old Randy is still overcoming his torture for allegedly joining a communist militia in the Philippines. With guidance and support Randy overcame his anger and vengeance. Today, he still seeks legal punishment of the perpetrators. “I want to get justice. Support through the legal process has helped me locate the people who tortured me. I hope they will one day be punished.” Randy’s drive to ensure punishment of those who tortured him is not unique. In fact, seeing punishment for the perpetrator is often the top expectation of torture victims, when taking their case to court. Randy is still overcoming the torture he experienced in April 2010. A suspected member of the New People’s Army (NPA), an armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, the military arrested Randy at his home in the northern part of the country. Two soldiers escorted Randy outside and beat him. Then, in sight of Randy’s family, they stabbed him in the hip with a bayonet. Afterwards Randy was blindfolded and thrown into the back of a van. The journey in the van ended at a military camp. There Randy was detained, doused in water and electrocuted. “I cannot explain the pain I felt,” says Randy. “It felt like my body would explode. I 16