NCJ Number
78897
Journal
Monatsschrift fuer Kriminologie und Strafrechtsreform Volume: 63 Issue: 4 Dated: (August 1980) Pages: 217-231
Date Published
1980
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Human rights abuses perpetrated by certain countries and their governmental agencies in the course of forwarding the interests of the government by force are discussed.
Abstract
The rather limited legal norms existing for human rights on an international level are established in the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights and in lesser international agreements. Sources for information on human rights violations are the United Nations Human Rights Commission, the American Congressional Record Service, and the reports of Amnesty International. Information can also be derived from special reports on violations of the International Pact on Civil and Political Rights; and the International Agreement for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Unfortunately, none of the reports or organizations list human rights violations exhaustively. In the present study, specific instances of human rights violations throughout the world are cited for the following areas: murder of prisoners; kidnapping of individuals, especially by the police of Latin American military regimes; torture and inhuman or degrading treatment of individuals; imprisonment for extended periods without justification; and imprisonment of individuals because of their expressed political views. Most of the governments responsible for such violations are characterized by concentration of power through elimination or subordination of the Parliament and the judiciary, as well as introduction of military courts for political cases. Such governments usually adopt special repressive regulations affecting criminal procedures to quash all opposition. These regulations may involve declaring a state of emergency, permitting imprisonment without stated reasons, and denying defense counsel. Repressive governments deemphasize any consideration of victimization and use extremist groups in support of their activities. The governments generally enter into military and economic agreements with corporations or other governments. A bibliography is supplied.