The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights says the intention by Boko Haram to sell the abducted girls as slaves constitute a crime against humanity.
Boko Haram, the militant group which has reportedly kidnapped eight more girls in northeastern Nigeria after last month’s abduction, released a video where the alleged leader Abubakar Shekau (US government has offered a reward of up $7 for information about him) referred to the abducted girls as slaves and said he would sell them off in the market.
U.N. Human Rights Commission spokesman Rupert Colville stated “There is no statute of limitations for very serious international crimes, especially crimes against humanity … Slavery, sexual slavery under international law can be considered as crimes against humanity. That means anyone responsible can be arrested and charged and prosecuted and jailed at any time in the future. So, just because they think they are safe now, they will not necessarily be in two years, five years, 10 years’ time.”
