Human rights violation

Human rights violation is a term used when a government violates national or international law related to the protection of human rights. A human rights abuse is when a violent opposition group carries out a similar action. The different terminology is used because violent opposition groups in general have not, in a formal legal sense, committed themselves to obeying human rights law, though most governments have committed themselves, in theory, to protecting human rights.

See also

• human rights in the People's Republic of China
• human rights in the United States