The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance – A Welcoming Response to a Worldwide Phenomenon with Limited Relief
Journal of Contemporary Roman-Dutch Law, Vol. 73, p. 368, 2010
16 Pages Posted: 3 Aug 2011
Date Written: August 2, 2010
Abstract
The phenomenon of enforced disappearance is one of the most severe human rights violations. The enforced disappearance of persons is a grave and serious crime against humanity affecting various fundamental human rights afforded to every human being including the individual’s right to freedom and security of the person, the right to be protected from all forms of torture and punishment of a cruel, inhuman or degrading nature, and the most important right of all – the right to life. The methods used in most cases entail the following: Heavily armed security officers in plain clothes force their way at night into a family’s home, drag off one family member towards a car without licence plates and drive him or her away to a secret detention place where the victim is kept, usually tortured and often arbitrarily executed. In many instances disappeared persons may survive many years in detention but the authorities refuse to admit any knowledge or responsibility and thereby deliberately keep the family in an almost unbearable situation between hope and despair, not knowing whether the victim is still alive, and, if so, where held, under what conditions and in what state of health.
Keywords: Enforced disappearance, International Convention for the Protection of All Persons
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