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Justice and Forensic Science

Physicians for Human Rights advocates that victims of violations of human rights and/or humanitarian law have a right to justice, the right to know the truth, and to have history recorded accurately in order to establish a historic record grounded in science and resistant to revisionism. Forensic science touches on nearly every area of our work, from our International Forensic Program (IFP), to our Asylum Program, to our work in gender violence and rape as a weapon of war.

The IFP is dedicated to providing independent forensic expertise to document and collect evidence of human rights violations and of violations of international humanitarian law. Since the 1980s, PHR has mobilized forensic scientists and other experts worldwide to respond to inquiries by governments, organizations, families, and individuals. Our experts come from all forensic science disciplines, ranging from forensic pathology to forensic anthropology, and include experts from analytical sciences in forensic laboratories, such as firearm examiners.

Transitional Justice in Afghanistan

PHR has been documenting human rights abuses in Afghanistan since 1997. As part of the grassroots push for transitional justice, we have partnered with Afghan civil society organizations and national stakeholders in a multi-year program to develop forensic capabilities to help Afghanistan address human rights violations and abuses as the country moves away from conflict and seeks national healing.

Death Investigations

The International Forensic Program uses forensic science to investigate both mass graves and, sometimes, individual deaths.

Environmental Assessments

The IFP participates in environmental assessments using forensic science to discover the effects of toxins on local populations.

Torture Investigations

PHR uses forensic science to investigate, document, and advocate against torture of US-held detainees, and through its Asylum Program, to conduct medical and psychological forensic evaluations of survivors of torture and abuse who seek asylum in the US.

Forensic Training

The International Forensic Program offers courses and online training in forensic science, human identification, DNA analysis, and international forensic investigations. Our online course is open to the public.

Fighting for the Forgotten (April 14, 2012)

As director of PHR's anti-torture program and as an attorney for Guantanamo Bay detainees, Kristine Huskey has been fighting for basic human rights and social justice since a few months after 9/11, when she took on her first clients. In a Yin Radio interview, Huskey talks about her work and how she manages to stay with it amid the worst of what human beings are capable of.

A Doctor's Response to Torture (March 26, 2012)

In the recently released Annals of Internal Medicine, PHR volunteer Dr. Sondra Crosby describes her experience treating a torture survivor who she calls “Rashid.” Kidnapped from a hospital bed and sold for a bounty, Rashid spent 5 years in US custody where he suffered severe beatings, prolonged solitary confinement, sleep deprivation, and rape. All along, he was innocent. (Please note, the below linked article is in PDF format.)

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.

Bahrain court overturns two death sentences (January 9, 2012)

The court of cassation in Bahrain has overturned a ruling by the court of appeals that had sentenced two Bahraini anti-government protesters to execution. Monday's decision will require the court of appeals to re-examine the case and issue a new verdict for the two protesters earlier sentenced to death, and five others who had been sentenced to life in prison.

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ICE Struggles to Provide Humane Treatment to Transgender Detainees (May 21, 2012)

Despite the failure of the US to ensure equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender citizens, LGBT people around the world still see it as a place where they can live their lives freely and openly, without fear of imprisonment or torture.

Special Rapporteur Mendez Assessing Torture Prohibition Measures in Tajikistan (May 10, 2012)

United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Juan Méndez, is currently visiting Tajikistan to assess measures taken by the Tajik government to bring its torture prohibition legislation into compliance with international standards.

Science and Justice in Afghanistan (April 27, 2012)

With the backing of PHR, the Afghanistan Forensic Science Organization (AFSO) was officially launched in Kabul on March 7, 2012. The AFSO was created by eighteen participants of PHR’s 2010 forensic training program in Afghanistan, and funded through PHR’s International Forensic Program.

Witnessing Justice for Victims of Karadžić (February 14, 2012)

On January 30 and 31, 2012, Dr. William Haglund, former director of PHR's International Forensic Program and head of the forensic team which exhumed mass graves in Srebenica, Bosnia in 1995, testified at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. PHR Deputy Director Susannah Sirkin was there.

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Crucial Senate Hearing on Indefinite Detention Includes PHR Testimony by Dr. Scott Allen (March 2012)

PHR's testimony by Dr. Scott Allen based on important findings from the groundbreaking report, “Punishment Before Justice: Indefinite Detention in the US,” was submitted by Senator Dianne Feinstein at a crucial Senate hearing on indefinite detention.

Forensic Review of Sergei Magnitsky documents (July 2011)

After reporting an alleged $230 million tax fraud perpetrated by a group of Russian government officials and senior police officers, Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer stationed in Russia for the UK‐based investment firm Hermitage Fund, was arrested and jailed on November 24, 2008. Magnitsky died following 358 days in prison under progressively worsening conditions. PHR's International Forensic Program reviewed documents relating to Magnitsky's death in order to identify key irregularities, inconsistencies or gaps in the medical investigations carried out by the Russian authorities into the cause and manner of his death.

Punishment Before Justice: Indefinite Detention in the US (June 2011)

The United States government’s reliance on indefinite detention in both national security and immigration contexts reflects an abdication of its legal and moral responsibility to treat those in its custody humanely, as well as an abdication of its responsibility to protect its military and civilians from retaliation on account of its continued refusal to honor the rule of law.

Toxic Metals and Indigenous Peoples Near the Marlin Mine in Western Guatemala (May 2010)

Environmental health scientists from the University of Michigan find that a sample of Guatemalans who live near a controversial gold and silver mine in the country's western highlands have higher levels of potentially toxic heavy metals in their urine and blood than a sample of residents who live farther from the mine....

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Featured Investigation

Transitional Justice in Afghanistan

Transitional justice refers to the process of addressing human rights violations and abuses as a country moves away from conflict and seeks national healing. Read More »

Featured Expert

Stefan Schmitt

Stefan Schmitt

Stefan's background is in forensic anthropology and crime scene analysis. He is the author of a leading publication providing a working definition for mass graves. He has lived in Guatemala, where he founded the country’s first forensic anthropology team in 1992. Read More »