Journal of Historical Research, Law and Policy 3115-7505 4 Serial Number 15 2026 05 01 Examining the Position of Individual Security in Authoritarian and Totalitarian Systems Examining the Position of Individual Security in Authoritarian and Totalitarian Systems 1 20 EN Journal Article <p>Individual security, as one of the fundamental pillars of human rights, holds a relatively institutionalized and protected position in democratic systems through the oversight of independent judicial bodies and the participation of civil society organizations. However, in authoritarian and totalitarian systems, this fundamental right faces serious challenges. These regimes, through a deliberate redefinition and conceptual hollowing of individual security, have transformed it into an instrument for consolidating political power, suppressing dissent, and implementing social engineering. Given that previous analyses have largely neglected the structural and ideological dimensions of this issue, the present study adopts an analytical–comparative approach to examine the impact of authoritarian and totalitarian structures on the restriction of individual security. The findings indicate that authoritarian regimes generally operate by enacting vague and broadly defined laws that allow expansive interpretations of political and security-related offenses, as well as by employing exceptional legal frameworks such as states of emergency, in order to legitimize the suppression of political opposition. In totalitarian systems, governments systematically and deliberately violate individual security by employing mechanisms such as the manipulation of public opinion through official media, mass mobilization, and the weakening of oversight institutions, all of which are examined in this study. Finally, the study proposes several measures to safeguard individual security, including strengthening the principle of separation of powers, ensuring judicial independence, reinforcing oversight institutions, imposing precise legal limitations on governmental authority during exceptional circumstances, and establishing democratic accountability through support for independent media, civil society institutions, and international monitoring mechanisms.</p> https://www.jhrlp.com/index.php/jhrlp/article/download/248/243