Hostages and Human Rights

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.

• 1. Introduction; 2. Terrorist Hostage-Taking and the Anti-Terrorism Conventions: The Lack of a Victim's Perspective in the Fight against Terrorism; 3. Pirate Hostage-Taking and Counter-Piracy Measures: The Lack of a Victim's Perspective in the Fight against Modern Piracy; 4. Jurisdiction in International Law and State Responsibility: Why Accountability Cannot Protect the Human Rights of Hostages; 5. International Human Rights Law and the Human Rights of Hostages; 6. State Practice in Hostage Crises and Human Rights: Mapping Gaps and Best Practices; 7 Concluding Remarks.

'This important book draws much-needed attention to the neglected human rights of hostages in international legal responses to hostage taking, particularly in countering terrorism and piracy. It deftly shows how the dominant framework of criminal suppression has paradoxically recognised the rights of perpetrators but not necessarily of victims, while state responsibility has focused largely on states' not victims' rights. It calls for victims to be protected through a human rights-centred approach, including by careful attention to its extraterritorial application. The book provides a rich account of doctrine, state practice, and policy, and stands out as the leading work in this area.' Ben Saul, University of Sydney