Theo van Boven: key obituary facts
Is Theo van Boven dead? Yes. Theo van Boven died on May 9, 2026, at age 91.
Cause of death: Theo van Boven's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Theo van Boven known for?
He was a Dutch legal scholar.
More about Theo van Boven
Born: 6 May 1934.
Place of birth: Voorburg.
Gender: male.
Occupation: university teacher, jurist.
Nationality: Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Education: Leiden University.
Employer: University of Amsterdam, Maastricht University, Leiden University.
Awards: Wateler Peace Prize, Light of Truth Award, Right Livelihood Award, Order of Orange-Nassau, Order of Bernardo O'Higgins, Order of the Liberator General San Martín, Clara Meijer-Wichmann Penning.
Also known as: T.C. van Boven.
Theo van Boven, a Dutch jurist and professor emeritus in international law, died on May 9, 2026.
He was appointed in 1977 as director of the United Nations Division for Human Rights, a precursor of the UN Human Rights Office. From 1986 to 1991, he served as the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Reparation to Victims of Gross Violations of Human Rights, and from 2001 to 2004 as Special Rapporteur on Torture.
He was also a member of the International Commission of Jurists and served from February to December 1994 as the first registrar of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Theo van Boven, 91–92, Dutch jurist.