Testimonies of victims of human rights violations as primary sources in the reports by united nations bodies

Abstract

Victims of crimes, victims of abuse of power and victims of gross and systematic human rights violations have had little relevance to international law. However, since 1985, international human rights law has taken an interest in them and has created four instruments, which establish different notions of victim, as well as a catalogue of rights. Since then, victims have become increasingly prominent in processes involved in seeking justice, truth and reparation. Recently, victim's testimonies are used as one of the indicators, although not the only one, for measuring compliance and protection of human rights rules in the United Nations system.