Economic Sanctions Against Individuals and Human Rights Law

Abstract The paper discusses human rights implications of economic sanctions against individuals, typically asset freezing. It shows that it is now largely accepted that states (and the EU), when implementing sanctions imposed by other actors (the UN) remain responsible for the compatibility of the implementing measures with human rights and that individuals targeted by sanctions are within their jurisdiction. The paper also demonstrates that economic sanctions against individuals may violate certain procedural rights, mainly the right to be heard and the right to effective remedies. Finally it argues that although sanctions could also interfere with substantive human rights, such as the right to property or the right to privacy, (quasi)judicial bodies have been reluctant to discuss their effects on these rights.