When it comes to helping victims of human rights violations, the United States has the best and, under some circumstances, the only laws available for survivors to obtain some sort of redress and compensation and to hold abusers financially accountable in court. U.S. laws and U.S. courts often permit civil remedies against human rights violators, including individuals, corporations and foreign governments. These lawsuits by victims are important because most human rights violators will never be criminally prosecuted and, even if they are, prosecutions provide no opportunity for victims to be compensated for their injuries.
