Triveni DeFries, MD, MPH is an Assistant Professor at University of California (UCSF) in the Department of Medicine and Core Faculty in the Institute of Global Health Sciences. She is a physician who is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine. She completed medical school, residency and fellowship training at UCSF. She practices primary care […]

Jim Recht, MD is a Lecturer on Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the HIV Team psychiatrist at Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program, where he also co-leads the BHCHP Asylum Clinic. Jim completed medical school at University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and psychiatry residency training at Tufts Medical Center and St. Elizabeth’s Medical […]

Individuals expelled from the United States to Panama in February 2025 without being allowed to present asylum claims appear to have psychological and physical symptoms consistent with their reports of torture, mistreatment, and/or persecution in their countries of origin, according to new evidence from Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) submitted today by the Global Strategic […]

In an episode airing in March 2025, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” called for an end to the use of “excited delirium” as a cause of deaths in police custody. The segment cites PHR’s landmark 2022 report “Excited Delirium and Deaths in Police Custody,” which shows how the term is not a valid, independent […]

Following the Trump administration’s decision to end guidance protecting “sensitive locations” such as health care facilities from immigration enforcement actions, a new guide published today provides information to health care workers about how to navigate the new enforcement landscape while upholding ethical duties.  “Health Care and U.S. Immigration Enforcement: What Providers Should Know,” jointly published […]

Recent changes in regarding U.S. immigration enforcement have created new challenges for health care providers who are committed to ensuring care for all patients. This guide does not constitute legal advice but offers essential information to navigate the evolving enforcement landscape while upholding your duties as a health care professional. As a health care provider, […]

In an episode airing in March 2025, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” shined a light on U.S. immigration detention and how it jeopardizes the health, rights, and lives of people who are detained. The harrowing segment highlights two studies published in 2024 by PHR and partners: PHR continues to call for safe, humane, and […]

In response to the U.S. Department of Justice’s plans to drop United States v. Idaho, its lawsuit which would uphold EMTALA, a federal law ensuring that patients can access to emergency services, including abortion where needed, to stabilize a patient regardless of a person’s ability to pay, the following quote is attributable to Payal Shah, […]

An ongoing court case aims to finally secure justice for the survivors of sexual violence. This high-profile litigation – officially known as Constitutional Petition No. 122 of 2013 – seeks to hold the Kenyan government accountable for sexual violence in the post-election period.

PHR’s strategic plan for 2025 to 2028 allows us to meet the urgent need for the expertise and insight of health professionals, who are uniquely positioned to have a powerful impact at the intersection of health and human rights.

I will never forget when violence broke out during Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity in 2013-2014. On a very cold winter day in Kyiv, confrontation between police and protesters escalated. I watched a bus burn in front of me on a central street. Even then, it seemed to me like an omen. Those of us who […]

A staggering 1762 attacks on health care facilities, workers, and infrastructure have been perpetrated since Russia’s full-scale invasion three years ago, according to new data published today by a group of human rights and humanitarian organizations. Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) calls on global actors to hold perpetrators of these crimes to account, as well […]

Controller Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), which shared in the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997, is a U.S.-based international advocacy organization working at the intersection of medicine, science, and law. With a global network of thousands of medical, scientific, and legal experts, PHR uses the power of medical and scientific evidence to document violations of […]

The Trump administration’s executive order to freeze U.S. foreign aid for 90 days has halted the supply of lifesaving medical care to populations facing rising conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) including survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, said Physicians for Human Rights (PHR).  The order was issued as the M23 militia moves […]

President Trump’s policy agenda looks to compound suffering, threaten public health, and violate fundamental rights.  

Survivors of 2007-2008 election-related sexual violence (ERSV) will have their first day in court since 2020, as they appeal a judgement that denied relief for four of the eight survivor-petitioners who experienced ERSV perpetrated by non-state actors  WHAT: Hearing for Civil Appeal No. E645 of 2021: Coalition of Women Against Violence vs. the Attorney General […]

In response to mounting conflict and the M23 militia seizing additional cities and towns in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the following statement is attributable to Karen Naimer, JD, director of programs at Physicians for Human Rights (PHR):  “Health and humanitarian workers and facilities are under assault in eastern DRC as M23 forces […]

In response to the Trump administration memorandum directing the U.S. government to prepare the Guantánamo Bay prison in Cuba to detain migrants, the following statement is attributable to Michael Payne, deputy director of advocacy at Physicians for Human Rights (PHR):  “The dark history of Guantánamo is getting a new chapter as the Trump administration looks […]

In response to the escalating conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the following quote is attributable to Sam Zarifi, JD, executive director of PHR:  “Civilians in DRC are again caught between regional rivals fighting for power and mineral resources, and hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced in recent weeks alone, […]

In response to the Trump administration’s move to rescind the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “sensitive locations” policy, which prevents immigration enforcement actions in or around locations like hospitals, schools, or places of worship, the following quote is attributable to Katherine Peeler, MD, medical advisor at Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) and assistant professor of […]

U.S. President Trump’s policy agenda will compound suffering, threaten public health, and violate long-standing human rights protections, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) said today. Several executive actions signed by the president yesterday represent inhumane, unlawful, and dangerous developments that attack people seeking asylum and other migrants, while other new policies erode global health and public […]

Following reports that the incoming Trump administration may once again invoke Title 42 public health authority to turn away asylum seekers and migrants at the border, leading epidemiologists, former CDC officials, and other public health experts reiterate their strong objection to any misuse of public health authority. While the first Trump administration directed the Centers […]

In armed conflicts around the world, sexual violence is perpetrated at an alarming rate – including against children. Multiple challenges limit evidence collection, preventing accountability for sexual violence. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Physicians for Human Rights and our partners are supporting child survivors of sexual violence through the creation of child-friendly spaces. […]

Physicians for Human Rights takes pride in its strong internship program. Every semester, PHR is fortunate to host a group of academically successful and passionate students who represent the next generation of human rights advocates. Students joining the PHR intern team come from a wide range of academic backgrounds, including public health, international relations, nonprofit […]

In January 2011, peaceful protesters in Syria took to the streets, demanding basic human rights and dignity. They were met with a fierce crackdown by the Syrian government. That violence spiraled into a brutal civil war, devastating the country. In blatant violation of international law, Bashar al-Assad’s regime relentlessly targeted health care facilities and deployed […]