In Italy, lawmakers have passed a bill making torture a crime under national law, after years of parliamentary back-and-forth. <br/><br/>Lawmakers yesterday passed a bill that makes torture punishable by four to 10 years in prison, 12 for members of the security forces. Rome signed the UN Convention Against Torture in 1984 but had never transferred it into national legislation. Torture is defined under the law as intense physical suffering or psychological trauma verifiably caused by violence, grave threats or cruel actions.