United Nations Human Rights Council

59^th session 

Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary 
or arbitrary executions

18 June 2025

EU statement

Mr President,

The EU thanks the Special Rapporteur for his important report on the rights of families of victims of unlawful killings. We share your view that families must also be recognized as victims of the crime, and their rights upheld. 

As you point out, families of victims often face multiple challenges:

• difficulties in receiving timely and reliable information about the killing,
• lack of protection from reprisals, threats and attacks, including in retaliation for seeking truth and accountability,
• difficulties in recovering the remains, and refusals to attend or organise burials, 

and

• denial of the right to remedy in a wider sense, including a lack of justice, compensation, rehabilitation and other measures designed to help families overcome their loss. 

As a result, family members, including children, are often further traumatized.

Special Rapporteur, you recommend that States take steps to support families of victims of unlawful killings, adopting a victim-centred approach, with a special consideration for the needs of children. 

Could you please elaborate or share any best practises regarding how States can best support the special needs of children in this context, taking into account the best interest of the child and the need to lessen the impact of inter-generational trauma?