‘Human Rights’ Archives
War Crimes in Angola
War Crimes in Angola Angola, a former Portuguese colony on the southwestern coast of Africa, is slowly recovering from decades of civil war that left over half a million dead and displaced at least 3.5 million people. The UN-brokered effort to disarm the combatants and return the refugees to their homes, while making some progress, has [...]
Nuremberg Laws
Nuremberg Laws (Nuremberg Decrees) The Nuremberg Laws, enacted in 1935 by the Congress of the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP, or Nazi Party), were designed to clarify who could be considered a German citizen while segregating Jews from society and depriving them of economic, political, and other rights. The laws were intended to [...]
Babi Yar
Babi Yar Babi Yar, a ravine, is the site of the brutal extermination of thousands of Jews by Nazi mobile killing units known as EINSATZGRUPPEN near Kiev in the Ukraine. At the time of the killings, Kiev had a Jewish population of 175,000. In mid-September 1941 the German army captured Kiev. Within a period of two weeks the Nazis had rounded up [...]
Amnesty
Amnesty The word amnesty comes from the Greek stem amnestia, which means to forget. An amnesty is a legal mechanism that effectively eradicates a past deed, at the same time lifting the possibility of punishment for the person responsible for the deed. By definition an amnesty is retroactive; individuals are not given an amnesty for acts that [...]
Refoulement
Refoulement Refoulement is a term that describes the involuntary return to their homelands of REFUGEES who have a legitimate fear of facing persecution. People who can legally claim refugee status are protected by international law from refoulement. This protection is found in the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and [...]
Medical Experiments on Humans
Medical Experiments on Humans Nonconsensual medical experiments on human beings are crimes under international law and the laws of most nations. The GENEVA CONVENTIONS of 1949 defined medical experiments on PRISONERS OF WAR (POWs) and protected persons—civilians under the control of an OCCUPYING POWER—as a grave breach. The 1998 ROME [...]
Pillage
Pillage Pillage—the act of looting or plundering property—has long been associated as a justifiable reward for victory and compensation for assuming the risks of combat. Pillage is banned under international law. The Hague Convention of 1907 declared: “The pillage of a town or place, even when taken by assault, is prohibited.” The [...]
The Fear of Refugees
Refugees Refugees are defined as people who are forced to leave their homes in order to seek safety or refuge elsewhere. Many factors can lead to a person becoming a refugee, but conflict, persecution, economic deprivation, natural disaster, and harsh living and working conditions are among the major causes. The United Nations defines the term [...]
International Criminal Court (ICC)
International Criminal Court (ICC) The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established by the ROME STATUTE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT on July 17, 1998. The ICC grew out of a United Nations conference with 120 states participating. The court sits in The Hague, the capital of the Netherlands. It is the first international court based [...]
International Labor Organization (ILO)
International Labor Organization (ILO) The International Labor Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency that seeks the recognition and promotion of social justice and human and labor rights. Founded in 1919, the ILO enjoys a special place in history since it is the only major creation of the Treaty of Versailles, which brought the LEAGUE [...]
