Over six million Jews were killed during the Holocaust. In order for such a large amount of civilian deaths to occur, human rights had to be violated as well. Human rights are a right that belongs justifiably to all people no matter where they are. The Holocaust was the systematic persecution of Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, handicapped and blacks. The Holocaust violated human rights by stripping people of everything they had a right to and refusing to treat them humanely.
In Elie Wiesel’s memoir, "Night," many human rights are obviously violated, but I’m going to focus on two of the major rights that are violated: the right to no unfair detainment and the right to a fair and free world are violated.
The right to no unfair detainment is important because it helps to ensure people are not falsely confined for no appropriate reason. Wiesel and his family, along with other Jewish families from their area, were evicted from their homes and forced into a ghetto they could not leave. Wiesel was forced to sacrifice his home and obey the will of the police or face the consequences. The police kept tight account of all the Jews, counting them and making sure no one left or escaped.
“One by one the houses emptied, and the street was filled with people and bundles. By ten o’clock, all the condemned were outside, the police took a roll call, once, twice, twenty times” — (Wiesel 10)
Every Jew from Wiesel’s neighborhood was forced into a ghetto with no say or choice. No one is authorized to dictate someone’s freedom in such a way unless given fair justification to do so. That was one of his first warning signs, before he was forced into trains with no means of escape as Wiesel and his family are sent to Auschwitz, where the majority would later die horrible deaths. The entire situation is preplanned and constructed in order to strip them of their rights without them even realizing it before it is already too late.
Fear began to rise after being locked in crowded train cars as does the fearful threat of being killed if someone even attempted to escape.
“Then the cars were sealed. In each car one person was placed in charge. If anyone escaped he would be shot” — (Wiesel 14)
They are detained against their will; subjugated with the possibility of being shot and murdered. There is no validation for the inhumane treatment they suffered. The Jews are eventually cut-off from the rest of society. By keeping them isolated from everyone else, the Nazis are able to alienate them, causing them to feel different as they are increasingly dehumanized. After undergoing the harsh conditions of the camps, the Jews became weakened both mentally and physically, leaving them in a much more feeble state. The Holocaust thus violated their human rights through unfair treatment and torture.
