• Issues
• Torture
• Mass Atrocities
  • War Crimes in Libya
  • Crimes Against Humanity in Burma
  • Refugee Crisis in Bangladesh
  • War Crime in Afghanistan
  • Transitional Justice in Afghanistan
  • Health Crisis in Zimbabwe
  • Genocide in Darfur
• Rape in War
• Persecution of Health Workers

Mass Atrocities

Mass atrocities — including certain war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide — are human rights violations directed against a population. PHR has prepared evidence of war crimes and testified at various international bodies, including tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, and the Special Court of Sierra Leone. Based on our investigations, we are working to prevent, stop, and provide accountability for mass atrocities in the following areas.

War Crimes in Libya

When Libyans first took to the streets to protest Colonel Muammar Qaddafi’s autocratic rule in February 2011, Qaddafi's response was quick and brutal: attack protesters and target civilians in a deliberate campaign to quash dissent across the country. PHR documented some of the conflict's most severe human rights violations that must be addressed as a new civilian government emerges.

Crimes Against Humanity in Burma

PHR’s research in Burma’s Chin State revealed extraordinary levels of state and military violence against civilian populations. The abuses included forced labor, religious persecution, beatings, killing, disappearances, torture, rape, and widespread pillaging.

Refugee Crisis in Bangladesh

Stateless refugees from Burma face death from starvation and disease in makeshift camps because the government of Bangladesh denies them access to humanitarian aid. PHR has called for a comprehensive regional response to the Bangladesh government's failure to protect and care for the refugees, as well as to the human rights violations in Burma that have caused some 300,000 Muslim minority Rohingya to flee that country.

War Crimes in Afghanistan

As many as 2,000 Taliban prisoners are believed to have been killed by US-allied Afghan troops and buried in a mass grave in the northern desert of Dasht-e-Leili. PHR investigators discovered the mass grave in 2002. Since then, we have called for a full investigation of the alleged massacre.

Transitional Justice in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, over 100 mass grave sites allegedly contain many of Afghanistan’s estimated 1.5 million dead. PHR is helping to develop local forensic capabilities so the people of Afghanistan can address past abuses and begin the process of transitional justice, turning from violence to peace.

Health Crisis in Zimbabwe

In 2008, PHR witnessed the utter collapse of Zimbabwe's health system, resulting in the death of some 4,000 from cholera. Today, Zimbabwe remains a country battered and torn by political strife, infrastructure collapse, and grave human rights abuses. PHR continues to call for the correction of the health and human rights situation in the country.

Genocide in Darfur

Hundreds of thousands of people have died in the ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan. Following our three investigations into the crisis, PHR has mobilized health professionals, students, and members of the general public to press for urgently needed security in Darfur and compensation and restitution for survivors.

• News
• Blog
• Research

Myanmar: Health Concerns for Kachin IDPs (January 31, 2012)

Internally displaced persons in Burma's Kachin state are suffering without adequate supplies or sanitation, according to aid workers. Bill Davies of PHR stressed the need for stronger assistance for the displaced, particularly as camps face the threat of contagious disease.

Bahrain detainee dies in custody, opposition sees torture (January 26, 2012)

A 19-year old Bahraini protester has died in the hospital while in custody. According to Bahraini police, he died as a result of chronic disease, but opposition groups argue that the detainee was injured in a protest, then detained and tortured. In light of the continued abuses of the Bahraini government, PHR is calling for the US government to hold fast to its decision to delay sales of military equipment to Bahrain.

Bahrain police fire tear gas at demo in capital (January 25, 2012)

The Bahraini government has continued its violent crackdown on opposition groups, firing tear gas and stun grenades at protestors and torturing anti-government activists. PHR reports have demonstrated that doctors and nurses who have born witness to violent government actions have been targeted for persecution and torture.

Qaddafi's Abattoir (January 24, 2012)

Since the collapse of the Qaddafi government, many mass graves have been discovered throughout Libya, evidence of the brutalities committed during the uprising. The forensic evidence provided by Physicians for Human Rights has helped to provide a clearer understanding of these atrocities.

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As Situation in Syria Worsens, U.S. Embassy in Damascus Closes (February 7, 2012)

As the situation in Syria devolves, Russia and China should see that they have chosen the wrong side of history with their recent veto of a U.N. Security Council resolution designed to end the atrocities in Syria.

Bending the Arc of the Moral Universe toward Justice: Prosecuting Mass Rape in the DRC (February 6, 2012)

This past October, PHR’s Deputy Director Susannah Sirkin and I had the opportunity to sit in on an appeals hearing in Kaléhé, a small village in South Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for a case concerning abduction, mass rape, sexual enslavement, and murder.

U.N. Special Rapporteur to Visit Burma (February 3, 2012)

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Burma, Tomas Ojea Quintana, is visiting Burma this week to assess the country’s recent changes and to determine if the changes are leading to a realization of the citizens’ human rights.

Inside Burma’s Prisons (January 31, 2012)

In Burmese prisons, access to healthcare remains rare, and political prisoners in particular suffer from inadequate treatment and unhealthy conditions.

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PHR Remembers Genocide Victims on the International Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust (January 2012)

Today marks the 67th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau–a date designated by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. This year, the United Nations has chosen to focus on child victims of the Holocaust, which numbered over 1.5 million.

The Use of Tear Gas in the Republic of Korea (July 1987)

Between July 11 and July 18, 1987, five public health specialists, organized by PHR, visited Seoul, South Korea, to study the effects of an unprecedented use of tear gas in that country against civilians in June and into July, 1987. This report details their findings.

Release of Political Prisoners in Burma is Positive Step (January 2012)

PHR welcomes the Government of Burma’s release of political prisoners. On Thursday more than 650 prisoners were released, including high-profile prisoners such as pro-democracy leaders Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi and Saffron Revolution leader U Gambira, according to estimates from PHR’s partner organizations. Releasing hundreds of political prisoner is a significant step forward for Burma, whose leaders have for decades responded to political activism with harsh prison sentences.

32nd Brigade Massacre: Evidence of war crimes and the need to ensure justice and accountability in Libya (December 2011)

This report, which combines medicine, forensic science, and eyewitness testimony to paint a stark picture of life and death in detention in Tripoli, provides a detailed and comprehensive forensic account of the 32nd Brigade massacre under Khamis Qaddafi on August 23, 2011 in Khalat Al Forjan, Tripoli. PHR’s investigation highlights the urgent need for Libya to establish due process, document crimes to the highest forensic standards, and acknowledge victim’s right to know the truth about their loved ones within a transitional justice process addressing grievances on all sides.

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Featured Investigator

Richard Sollom, MA, MPH

Richard oversees PHR programs on health, emergency response, armed conflict, asylum, and UN advocacy initiatives. During his time at PHR, he has led health and human rights investigations in Bahrain, Bangkok, Bangladesh, Burma, and Zimbabwe. Read More »