What does international law say about access to medical supplies in conflict zones? What is the obligation of parties to a conflict to ensure access to health care supplies? Medical supplies are never to be used strategically in warfare. In times of conflict, all parties to the conflict must both “allow and facilitate rapid and […]
On the legality of the arrest warrant against Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian Chemical Weapons case (question of personal immunity) This document shares detailed information about the upcoming hearing before the French Cour de cassation, during which a panel of judges will hear arguments about whether former President of Syria Bashar al-Assad should be legally immune […]
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a global human rights organization that works at the intersection of science, medicine, and the law to document mass atrocities and human rights violations, and advocate for justice and accountability. PHR recognizes that health professionals, with their specialized skills, ethical duties, and credible voices, are uniquely positioned to address […]
Filed ahead of the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals hearing in United States v. Idaho, PHR’s amicus brief documents delayed medical care and adverse health outcomes during “the injunction hiatus” – when Idaho’s abortion ban was allowed to pre-empt the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) protections. It also foreshadows the […]
Introduction In January 2015, Mr. Richard May entered a construction site in Half Moon Bay, California, with his neighbor to help retrieve the neighbor’s cat. An alarm was set off, summoning sheriff’s deputies to the site with a canine. The canine bit Mr. May, who was not resisting, fleeing, or armed, inflicting multiple puncture wounds […]
Summary eyeWitness to Atrocities, Insecurity Insight, Media Initiative for Human Rights, Physicians for Human Rights, and the Ukrainian Healthcare Center (together, the submitting organizations) jointly submit this report to inform the examination of the Russian Federation (Russia) during its Universal Periodic Review (UPR). This submission focuses on international humanitarian and human rights law concerns relating […]
Following the United States (US) Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in June 2022, people in the US who can become pregnant are facing an unprecedented human rights crisis. In Dobbs, the Supreme Court overturned the constitutionally protected right to access abortion, leaving the question of whether and how to regulate […]
This study sought to understand the experiences of survivors of sexual violence in Kenya as they accessed mental health services. Survivors’ experiences are vital to document and have important advocacy and policy implications related to the provision of mental health services and survivor-centered care within their communities. Context Sexual violence affects millions of people of […]
In U.S. v. Abu Zubaydah, the Supreme Court will consider if a detainee can obtain information about their torture while in the custody of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) at a so-called “black site” in Poland, or whether the U.S. government can claim that the “state secrets” privilege completely blocks from view key information about […]
