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Human Rights Day accompanied by calls for respect for human rights

Participates in a debate hosted by the human rights ombudsman voiced concern about the respect and protection of human rights around the world on Monday, the Human Rights Day. Ombudsman Vlasta Nussdorfer said that the biggest challenge of European human rights ombudsmen was to preserve human dignity.

"The fight must go on every day and at all levels. It is sad that we console ourselves that things are even worse elsewhere," she said and added that individual's rights are limited by the rights of others.

Former Constitutional Court judge and adviser to the president Ernest Petrič commented on the Declaration of Human Rights, which was ratified 70 years ago today, saying that the step was one of the fundamental milestones in human history.

"The declaration followed the atrocious slaughter of World War II, that horrendous denial of human dignity that took place in the name of various ideologies."

"The humanist note in the human soul prevailed in that moment and recognised the basic human rights that the state must never trample."

Petrič noted that human rights enjoyed legal protection in most countries but their implementation remained a problem. This was echoed also by Igor Kaučič, constitutional law professor at the Ljubljana Law Faculty.

He noted that the concept of human rights was based on the right of the individual, but recently, collective rights had come into the forefront. People like this notion but fail to see this concept is also dangerous.

He pointed to the fight against terrorism, limiting people's rights to privacy. "States claim that the concept of individual rights is outdated, but I'm sceptical. That's the easiest way to justify interference in human rights".

 

 

Source: STA

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