# Should ex-dictators have immunity?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-ex-dictators-have-immunity/270711>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [October 23, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-ex-dictators-have-immunity/270711 "2004-10-23T01:12:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-ex-dictators-have-immunity/270711/1 "2004-10-23T01:12:37Z")

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Should dictators who voluntarily relinquish power have immunity from prosecution for nasty acts that they may have had carried out, no matter how awful?

On the one hand there is the thought that justice should be served, evil acts punished; on the other, if you don’t give - **and maintain** - immunity then there’s no reason for other dictators to relinquish power.

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**Author:** ![Stringer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Stringer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringer)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2004, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-ex-dictators-have-immunity/270711/2 "2004-10-23T01:22:53Z")

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Immunity from whom? Are we assuming that they turn themselves in to the U.N. for punishment once they relinquish power?

Dictators are not holding back power relinquishment (is that a word?) because they are afraid of being tried for crimes against humanity by the U.N. They remain as rulers because they like the power.

If you’re asking my opinion, dictators should be punished for their crimes, regardless of how they are deposed (stepping down, overthrown, etc.)