Human rights are
moral principles or
norms, that describe certain standards of human behavior, and are regularly protected as
legal rights in
municipal and
international law. They are commonly understood as inalienable fundamental
rights "to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being," and which are "inherent in all human beings" regardless of their nation, location, language, religion, ethnic origin or any other status. They are applicable everywhere and at every time in the sense of being
universal, and they are
egalitarian in the sense of being the same for everyone. They require empathy and the
rule of law and impose an obligation on persons to respect the human rights of others. They should not be taken away except as a result of
due process based on specific circumstances; for example, human rights may include freedom from
unlawful imprisonment,
torture, and
execution.