Theo van Boven, Human Rights Advocate, Dies at 91

Why this is here: Van Boven visited a Chilean torture center in 1978 where a victim identified the location of water immersion and electric shock torture, recalling being forced to eat their own excrement.

Theo van Boven, a Dutch professor of International Law, died last weekend at age 91. He propelled new tools for the UN to address human rights violations, especially between 1977 and 1982 while directing the UN’s human rights department in Geneva. Van Boven actively sought contact with victims, visiting a torture center in Chile in 1978 and confronting the leader, Augusto Pinochet.

He also supported the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina, publicly naming countries violating human rights—a departure for a UN official. In 1982, the UN Secretary-General dismissed Van Boven, reportedly due to pressure from the United States and its new administration, which prioritized different concerns.

After leaving the UN, Van Boven became a professor at Maastricht University, continuing to inspire colleagues and students. He later served as a special rapporteur on torture for the UN from 2001 to 2004. Despite setbacks, he maintained a belief in the importance of helping others, seeing self-centeredness as “a world of spiritual poverty.” The pursuit of justice through international law continues.