"It is a violation which has obsessed the tyrants of the twentieth century. They do not want simply to kill their opponents, but to liquidate them, to deny that they have ever existed"

This quote by Helen Dunmore speaks to the extreme lengths to which tyrants of the twentieth century have gone to oppress their challengers. Instead of merely eliminating their opponents, they have actually looked for to remove them from presence, to deny that they ever existed. This is an infraction of the most basic human rights, and a clear presentation of the power of autocrats to manage and manipulate the lives of those they oppose. It is a chilling reminder of the lengths to which some people will go to keep their power and control over others. It is a suggestion of the importance of standing up for human rights and of the need to protect those who are susceptible to the whims of autocrats.