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State Lies as Violations of Human Rights

Milanovic, Marko LU orcid (2025) In Human Rights Quarterly 47(4). p.667-734
Abstract
This article examines how lying by state agents can violate various human rights, including freedoms of opinion and expression, the right to health, and the right to participate in public affairs. The article argues that human rights law will apply regardless of whether states lie to their own people or to peoples of other states. The article also argues that lying by state agents can be justified only very exceptionally. Most state lies will fail the test for justified limitations on rights, because they do not pursue any aim regarded as legitimate under human rights law.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Human rights, Mänskliga rättigheter
in
Human Rights Quarterly
volume
47
issue
4
pages
667 - 734
publisher
Johns Hopkins University Press
ISSN
1085-794X
DOI
10.1353/hrq.2025.a972481
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
90732474-2391-43f7-aea8-5f2472cd2a65
date added to LUP
2026-01-03 22:20:17
date last changed
2026-01-07 11:49:58
@article{90732474-2391-43f7-aea8-5f2472cd2a65,
  abstract     = {{This article examines how lying by state agents can violate various human rights, including freedoms of opinion and expression, the right to health, and the right to participate in public affairs. The article argues that human rights law will apply regardless of whether states lie to their own people or to peoples of other states. The article also argues that lying by state agents can be justified only very exceptionally. Most state lies will fail the test for justified limitations on rights, because they do not pursue any aim regarded as legitimate under human rights law.}},
  author       = {{Milanovic, Marko}},
  issn         = {{1085-794X}},
  keywords     = {{Human rights; Mänskliga rättigheter}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{667--734}},
  publisher    = {{Johns Hopkins University Press}},
  series       = {{Human Rights Quarterly}},
  title        = {{State Lies as Violations of Human Rights}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/hrq.2025.a972481}},
  doi          = {{10.1353/hrq.2025.a972481}},
  volume       = {{47}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}