Human Rights Violations under Emergency Powers: Trends and Legal Responses

• In Event: Roundtable: Democratic Regression in Security Governance in Developing Countries

Abstract

This paper examines how governments invoke emergency powers to legitimize human rights violations during political crises. While international law permits temporary derogations under states of emergency, many regimes exploit these legal frameworks to entrench authoritarian practices and suppress political dissent. Drawing on recent case studies from countries in the Middle East, South Asia, and Latin America, the analysis highlights patterns of abuse, including arbitrary detention, censorship, and the use of security forces against civilian populations. The paper explores how emergency declarations often lack judicial oversight and are extended indefinitely, eroding the rule of law. It also evaluates the effectiveness of legal and institutional responses—both domestic and international—in curbing such abuses. Ultimately, the paper argues that stronger accountability mechanisms and clearer limits on emergency powers are essential to prevent their misuse and to protect democratic norms and fundamental rights in times of crisis.

Authors

• Ekrem Mus, Sacred Heart University

• Halil Bilecen, Independent Researcher