Chapter 6 will move the discussion from what obligations states have under IHRL to how states have to act in order to fulfil these obligations in practice. This chapter tests state practice against the human rights framework in order to evaluate whether states comply with their human rights obligations when they deal with hostage-taking. By drawing on a wide range of practice by states which have experienced terrorist attacks over the years as well as counter-piracy measures adopted by various states, this chapter seeks to improve our understanding of what states do in response to hostage-taking and how they can better incorporate the needs of hostages in their responses.