Hostages and Human Rights: Towards a Victim-Centred Approach

Hostage-taking has increased in recent years and has become a problem of worldwide concern. Terrorists and pirates have used hostages in a rising number of incidents and the violence used has escalated alarmingly. Sofia Galani examines the taking of hostages from a victim's perspective, arguing that the international community has failed to protect them. By evaluating various international law concepts and frameworks, including jurisdiction in international law, state responsibility and international human rights law, Galani explains why we are still far from recognizing hostages as victims of human rights violations. She then addresses the question of what can be done to safeguard the human rights of hostages both in theory and practice. Being the first comprehensive study of the human rights of hostages, this book fills a critical gap in the literature for human rights lawyers and researchers in the field.

Sofia Galani is a Lecturer in Law at the University of Bristol Law School. She has published in the areas of human rights, maritime security, the law of the sea and terrorism. She has provided legal advice to the UNODC, NGOs and the maritime industry on the protection of human rights at sea.