GENEVA – The rights of families of victims of unlawful killings globally are frequently overlooked and often continue to face insurmountable challenges, a UN expert warned today.
“There are abundant provisions in international and regional human rights instruments which provide for robust protection for the families of persons unlawfully killed, including in relation to truth, justice and reparations, but they are too often ignored,” said Morris Tidball-Binz, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions in his report to the 59th Session of the Human Rights Council.
“In addition to extreme suffering and long-lasting trauma caused by the death of a loved one, families all too often face significant barriers, threats and even attacks due to their quest for justice and accountability,” the expert added.
The thematic report examines specific circumstances which may exacerbate the difficulties faced by families of victims of unlawful killings, including those that occur in the contexts of migration and armed conflict, deaths in custody, terrorism and counter-terrorism, the death penalty, and cases where families are the primary targets of unlawful killings.
He urged States to do more to respect and protect the rights of families, highlighting that families can be an irreplaceable source of information essential for the investigative process.
“Despite their grief, families globally are usually at the forefront of efforts to ensure truth, justice and reparations as well as long-term reforms to ensure non-recurrence of atrocities. They are among the most courageous, innovative and effective advocates for compliance by States with their human rights obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the right to life,” the Special Rapporteur said.
In his report on the visit to Ukraine, the Special Rapporteur emphasised the urgent need for meaningful assistance, including psychosocial care and help with legal and administrative procedures, and recommended the expansion of existing victim-support programmes to include not only direct victims but also their families. He welcomed efforts underway, including medico-legal and forensic investigations, to bring answers to families of the missing and dead by reliably identifying their loved ones and documenting unlawful killings to help ensure justice and reparations.
“I greatly admire and was deeply moved by the courage and perseverance of families of victims who I had the opportunity to meet during my visit to Ukraine, in their relentless and dignified pursuit of truth, justice and redress,” Tidball-Binz said.
“Many of the victims of killings are men, often the primary breadwinners for their families, leaving widows and children facing increased vulnerability and severe economic hardship,” the expert said.
Supporting families and ensuring justice and accountability is not only essential for achieving full reparations and lasting peace, but an obligation under international law, he recalled.
*The expert:
Morris Tidball-Binz is the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
Special Rapporteurs are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR.
Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/
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