assistance to victims, essential though it is for those programmes
42
to continue unabated :
·
Restitution
By this is understood restoring the victim, as far as is possible, to
the position he/she was in before the violation. In Zimbabwe
some clear examples will include the return to places of residence
for those unlawfully displaced, restoration of employment, return of
property, restoration of family life and citizenship and other legal
rights.
·
Compensation
This deals with economically assessable damage proportional to
the details of the violation, including: physical or mental harm, pain
and suffering and emotional distress, loss of opportunities
including education, material damage and loss of earnings, harm
to reputation or dignity, costs for expert legal, medical,
psychological and social services. In Zimbabwe thousands of
victims fall under this heading.
·
Rehabilitation
Here medical as well as psychological care is involved, as are
legal and social services.
·
Satisfaction
This is a wide component of nonetheless quite specific aspects,
including: cessation of the violation(s); full verification of the facts
42
These components are based squarely on the UN Draft Basic Principles and Guidelines on
the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of [Gross] Violations of International Human
Rights and [Serious] Humanitarian Law, Revised 24 October 2003. The Basic Principles are
the bedrock of the quest for an internationally recognised standard, and Zimbabwean civil
society ought to try to become more involved in this mainstream development. See also
REDRESS: Reparation: A sourcebook for victims of torture and other violations of human
rights
and
international
and
humanitarian
law,
London,
March
2003,
http://www.redress.org/publications/Sourcebook.pdf
33
Select target paragraph3
Add to table of contents