Enforced Disappearances: Current Debates in Comparative and International Law

Prof. Dr. Claudia Cárdenas Aravena; RiOLG Prof. Dr. Kai Cornelius LL.M.; RiOLG Prof. Dr. Dr. Milan Kuhli; Prof. Dr. Juan Pablo Mañalich Raffo

doi:10.5771/9783748947387

Summary

The volume offers a historical and comparative depiction of the methods and practices which are characteristic of systematic enforced disappearances, as well as a multi-perspectival assessment of the legal and extra-legal strategies and efforts designed as responses to the phenomenon. Special attention is paid to the distinction between legal models focused on the category of crimes against humanity, both under international and domestic law, and on stand-alone crimes within different jurisdictions. Yet the book also shows how these repressive models coexist with preventive approaches, such as procedural arrangements in the form of strict judicial reservations and notification obligations.
With contributions by Prof. Dr. Claudia Cárdenas Aravena | Javier Contesse Singh | RiOLG Prof. Dr. Kai Cornelius, LL.M. | Leandro Dias Lestón | Aziz Epik | RiOLG Prof. Dr. Dr. Milan Kuhli

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Bibliographic data

Edition: 1/2026
Copyright year: 2026
ISBN-Print: 978-3-7560-0131-6
ISBN-Online: 978-3-7489-4738-7
Publisher: Nomos, Baden-Baden
Series: Schriften zum Internationalen und Europäischen Strafrecht
Volume: 83
Language: English
Pages: 258
Product type: Edited Book

1. Preface No access
2. List of Abbreviations No access
Authors:
1. 1. The Schubart Case ‒ a Historical Example No access
2. 2. Characteristics and Challenges of Enforced Disappearances No access
3. 1. 3.1 Country Reports and Experiences No access
  2. 3.2 Legal and Extra-Legal Response Possibilities No access
4. Bibliography No access
1. Authors:
  1. 1. The Double Criminalisation of Enforced Disappearance in Argentina No access
  2. 2. Enforced Disappearance as a Crime Against Humanity No access
  3. 3. Enforced Disappearance as a Stand-Alone Domestic Crime No access
  4. 1. 4.1. Enforced Disappearance as an Isolated Act No access
    2. 4.2. On the Removal from the Protection of the Law No access
    3. 4.3. The Problem of Lawful Deprivations of Liberty No access
    4. 4.4. Problems of Ordinal Proportionality No access
  5. 5. Conclusion No access
  6. Bibliography No access
2. Authors:
  1. 1. The historical context: the civil-military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985 No access
  2. 1. 2.1 The beginning and intensification of violent political repression No access
    2. 2.2 Systematic human rights violations No access
  3. 3. Transitional justice in Brazil No access
  4. 1. 4.1 Law on the Recognition of Political Deaths and Disappearances (Law 9.140/1995) No access
    2. 4.2 The National Truth Commission No access
  5. 5. Conviction by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and Criminalization of Enforced Disappearance No access
  6. 6. Historical continuity of repressive violence: the unfinished re-democratisation No access
  7. Bibliography No access
3. Authors:
  1. Introduction No access
  2. 1. The phenomenon of enforced disappearance in Chile: a retrospective view No access
  3. 1. 2.1 The political-administrative approach: truth or reconciliation? No access
    2. 1. 2.2.1 Amnesty and statutory limitations as institutional obstacles No access
      2. 2.2.2 Enforced disappearance as ‘permanent kidnapping’? No access
  4. 1. 3.1 Political-legislative developments and the attempt at constitutionalisation No access
    2. 3.2 Enforced disappearance under normal institutional conditions No access
  5. Conclusion No access
  6. Bibliography No access
4. Authors:
  1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. 1. 2.1 ‘Protective and preventive custody’ No access
    2. 1. 2.2.1 Contents No access
      2. 2.2.2 Analysis No access
      3. 2.2.3 Legal Proceedings in Nuremberg No access
  3. 1. 3.1 Common foundations of the occupation policy No access
    2. 3.2 Occupation zones of the Western Allies No access
    3. 3.3 Special camps in the Soviet occupation zone No access
  4. 1. 4.1 ‘Night and Fog Decree’ and Nuremberg trials No access
    2. 4.2 Perception of internment No access
    3. 4.3 Perception of the special camps among the population of the SBZ / GDR No access
    4. 4.4 Special case Berlin No access
  5. 1. 5.1 Consultations on the Berlin post-war constitution No access
    2. 5.2 Constitutional Convention of Herrenchiemsee No access
    3. 5.3 Notification obligation in Art. 104 para. 4 GG No access
    4. 5.4 Conclusion No access
  6. Bibliography No access
5. Authors:
  1. 1. The Scale of Mexico’s Forensic Challenges and CED Recommendations No access
  2. 2. Forensic challenges and Committee of Enforced Disappearances recommendations to Mexico No access
  3. 3. International Cooperation and UNFPA’s programme on Human Identification in Mexico No access
  4. 4. Obstacles to Identification and the Need for a Multi-Pronged Approach No access
  5. 5. Example of cooperation: Fingerprint Matching with the INE No access
  6. 6. No policies without the participation Role of Civil Society and Families No access
  7. 7. Conclusion: Towards a National Human Identification Policy No access
  8. Bibliography No access
6. Authors:
  1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. 2. The phenomenon of ‘enforced disappearances’ in the South African context No access
  3. 3. The factual and legal findings of the TRC No access
  4. 4. Investigating disappearance cases from the apartheid-era (specifically: the TRC mandate-era) No access
  5. 5. The TRC recommendations regarding disappearances No access
  6. 6. Post-TRC investigations and further developments No access
  7. 7. Is there a legal basis to prosecute individuals for apartheid-era enforced disappearance cases? No access
  8. 8. The way forward No access
  9. Bibliography No access
7. Authors:
  1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. 2. Strasbourg case law No access
  3. 1. 3.1 Domestic legal transformations in the early 2000s No access
    2. 3.2 Material Law No access
    3. 3.3 Statute of Limitations No access
    4. 1. 3.4.1 Police custody No access
      2. 3.4.2 Custody duration No access
      3. 3.4.3 Custody registry No access
      4. 3.4.4 New police custody power and state of emergency No access
      5. 3.4.5 Procedural guarantees No access
  4. 1. 4.1 Post-Akdeniz trials: the Kulp case No access
    2. 4.2 Analysis No access
  5. 5. Conclusion No access
  6. Bibliography No access
8. Authors:
  1. 1. The phenomenon of ‘enforced disappearances’ in the Ukrainian context No access
  2. 2. Legal Situation in Ukraine (I) No access
  3. 3. Enforced disappearance as a crime against humanity No access
  4. 4. Legal Situation in Ukraine (II) No access
  5. 5. Conclusion No access
  6. Bibliography No access
1. Authors:
  1. 1. The historical and legal context No access
  2. 2. From the original to the current version of the Chilean draft bill No access
  3. 3. The comparison with the German provision No access
  4. Bibliography No access
2. Authors:
  1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. 1. 2.1 The Phenomenon of Enforced Disappearance No access
    2. 2.2 Legal Development No access
  3. 1. 3.1 CED: A Unitary Human Rights Concept No access
    2. 3.2 ICC Statute: Dualistic Offense under International Criminal Law No access
  4. 4. Implementation of the Convention in Germany No access
  5. 1. 5.1 Protected Legal Interests No access
    2. 5.2 Structure No access
    3. 5.3 Doctrinal Characterization No access
  6. 1. 6.1 Deprivation of Liberty (para. 1 no. 1) No access
    2. 1. 6.2.1 Concealment No access
      2. 6.2.2 Refusal to Provide Information No access
      3. 6.2.3 Omission No access
    3. 1. 6.3.1 Success: Withdrawal from the Protection of the Law No access
      2. 6.3.2 Unlawfulness of the Deprivation of Liberty No access
  7. 1. 7.1 Sentencing No access
    2. 7.2 Statute of Limitations No access
    3. 7.3 Scope of Application No access
  8. 8. Conclusion No access
  9. Bibliography No access
3. Authors:
  1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. 1. 2.1 Declaration on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance (1992) No access
    2. 2.2 Inter-American Convention on Forced Disappearance of Persons (1994) No access
    3. 2.3 Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances (2006) No access
    4. 2.4 General Observations of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances No access
  3. 1. 1. 3.1.1 The proof of enforced disappearances as a clandestine crime No access
      2. 3.1.2 Violated rights in cases of enforced disappearances No access
      3. 3.1.3 Understanding of the jurisdiction ratione temporis No access
      4. 3.1.4 Duties of the state in cases of enforced disappearances No access
      5. 3.1.5 Reparations in cases of enforced disappearances No access
    2. 1. 3.2.1 The proof of enforced disappearances as a clandestine crime No access
      2. 3.2.2 Violated rights No access
      3. 3.2.3 Understanding the jurisdiction ratione temporis No access
      4. 3.2.3 Duties of the state in cases of enforced disappearances No access
      5. 3.2.4 Reparations No access
  4. Conclusions No access
  5. Bibliography No access
4. Authors:
  1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. 2. The elements of the crime of enforced disappearance No access
  3. 1. 3.1 Who is a perpetrator? No access
    2. 3.2 Lawful deprivation of freedom? No access
    3. 3.3 Inquiry required? No access
    4. 3.4 Intent requirement No access
  4. 4. Concluding Remarks No access
  5. Bibliography No access
5. Authors:
  1. 1. The Latin American detenido desaparecido No access
  2. 1. 2.1 The destructive dimension of enforced disappearance No access
    2. 2.2 Enforced disappearance as a constitutive political ritual No access
  3. 3. Conclusion No access
  4. Bibliography No access
List of Contributors No access Pages 257 - 258