The struggle against enforced disappearance and the 2007 United Nations convention

Enforced disappearance is one of the most serious human rights violations which aff ects a number of human rights, namely the right to security of the person, the right to protection under the law, the right not to be arbitrarily deprived of one's liberty, the recognition of the legal personality of every human being and the right not to be subjected to torture or to other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In some cases, depending on the circumstances, it might also be related to violations of the right to life and of the rights of the family and the child, of freedom of thought, expression, religion and association and of the general prohibition of discrimination on any grounds. © 2007 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. All rights reserved.