SLC22-W3 / Human Rights (DDHH)

Hello Steemians, it's another activity of law again and I'll love to share some of the knowledge I've got.

Source

Part I

-. Based on what was explained in class, state in your own words and with explanations whether you consider that human rights are respected or violated in your country.

Well, here in my country, the government has made significant efforts in respecting citizens rights with regards to issues like murder, carrying guns around, human trafficking, kidnapping and other crimes.

However in the areas of security, police brutality, economic and social rights and even freedom of expression, these rights have been violated countless times in my country. Example: The “Boko Haram” which is a renowned terrorist group have been causing harm to lives for many years and the government seems to do little or nothing about it. The prices of goods and services are also increasing without cause and many can't afford basic needs.

-. Please state, according to the laws of your country, whether Human Rights have the same value as the Constitution of your country, whether they are supra-constitutional, or whether the Constitution prevails over international treaties on Human Rights.

Well, human rights are protected by the constitution in my country, but the relationship and whether human rights have the same value is quite complex. So while human rights are protected by the constitution, the constitution itself is the supreme law of the land. The law also states that the constitution including the fundamentals right provisions takes precedence over all other laws. So based on what I have seen and experienced I would say that the constitution prevails over international treaties in human rights.

Part II

-. I mentioned any organisation in your region that has jurisdiction over human rights. In your opinion, how useful it has been and how its operation has influenced respect for human rights in your country.

The African commission on human and peoples rights (ACHPR) have been promoting and protecting the rights of individuals in the country and in Africa at large.

It has been useful in these ways
. It has stated guidelines and principles for promoting rights.

. It has also been investigating some complaints that may arise from the violation of human rights.

. It also provides opinions on these rights that helps humans to know and stand up for these when the need arises.

Have you or someone close to you been a victim of human rights violations? If so, what was the situation and were you able to assert your rights?

Well, personally I've not experienced a violation of rights by the authorities or organisation but sometime in my country October 20,2020 to be precise, there was a huge violation of right by the authorities. The citizen's embarked on a protest to end some dehumanizing treatment meted out by a commission called “SARS”. The protest was ongoing when the authorities opened fire on the protesters and lives were lost, serious injuries were sustained and even properties were destroyed. That was a violation of rights as the protest was peaceful. Sadly they were not able to assert their rights and after a while everything went down without proper addressing of what actually happened.

Part III

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Case study 1.

A woman loses her son when he dies at the hands of assailants who kill him to steal his car. The assailants are later arrested and prosecuted for the murder. He is serving the sentence provided for by law. However, the woman believes that her right to life has been violated and decides to file a complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Please state whether you believe that the human rights of the victim in this case were indeed violated and whether the complaint to the aforementioned body should be admitted or not. Explain your answers.

I believe that the human rights of this victim were indeed violated. First, the woman claims that her right to life has been violated and though she is not the direct victim of the violation, the human right to life is not just the physical well-being but it affects the emotional wellbeing. So, the woman's loss of her son
automatically affects her emotional wellbeing and may even cause her trauma and severe distress.

However, for this case to be addressed, by the international bodies, the woman must have appealed to all the local sources first and maybe she hasn't gotten a suitable court hearing, then she can proceed to appeal to international bodies. Also, the complaint must be filed after a reasonable timeframe usually within six months (as it is done in my country)
If the woman has met this requirements, then her issue needs to be addressed as it is a serious one that calls for attention.

Case study 2.

Source

A person is arrested in the middle of an anti-government protest. He is beaten by police officers, resulting in his death. The prosecutor assigned to the case begins the investigation without being able to precisely identify the perpetrators of this murder. Several years go by and the victim's relatives turn to the prosecutor's office for an answer, and are told that the case has been closed because several years have passed without being able to identify the officers who caused the death.

Please state whether you believe that the human rights of both the victim and his/her family are being violated. Explain your answers.

I believe that the human rights of both the victim and the family had been violated. The violations in this scenario are actually numerous. Right to life has been infringed on, right to freedom for torture has also been violated. The family of the deceased has the right to seek to find the truth about what really happened to their family member. The family also had the right to seek for justice to be done and compensation supposed to be given to the family for such unjust action that occured and then the closure of the case without proper investigation is a great infringement of right.

I really enjoyed this activity. It is important for everyone to know their rights and uphold it and this cannot be possible if we have not been taught about it. Thus, activities like this will help us all to be alert to possible violations and to act accordingly to restore dignity and decorum as we move about our daily businesses.

I invite @suboohi @steemflower @dirapa