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Shadow Report for the Ethiopia State Party Report at the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights 83rd Session

Executive Summary Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) and the Organization for Justice and Accountability in the Horn of Africa (OJAH), have documented widespread, systematic and deliberate conflict related sexual violence (CRSV) in the Tigray region. Evidence gathered by PHR and OJAH, through a systematic review of medical records, shows that CRSV was used as a […]

May 6, 2025
Attacks on Health Care, Sexual Violence

Fellowships at PHR

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is proud to host fellows who are emerging leaders in the fields of human rights, law, medicine, public health, and related disciplines. Through partnerships with academic institutions and fellowship programs, PHR provides a dynamic environment where fellows work closely with our experts and staff to gain practical experience while contributing […]

May 5, 2025
Press Release

The Trump Administration’s Restructuring and Cuts to the U.S. State Department Benefit War Criminals and Perpetrators of Mass Atrocities: PHR

The Trump administration’s cuts and restructure of the U.S. State Department represent a dangerous attack on human rights and health, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) said today. The U.S. Congress should urgently review and contest these changes, while working to reinstate these key offices.   The dismantling of multiple U.S. government offices that were central in […]

April 29, 2025
Mass Atrocities
Press Release

Myanmar: Junta Assault on Health Care Hinders Quake Response

The Myanmar military junta’s years of unlawful attacks on healthcare facilities and health workers have severely hindered the emergency response to the devastating earthquake on March 28, 2025, Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights said today. A month after the earthquake, the junta has continued to obstruct access to life-saving services in opposition-held […]

April 28, 2025
Attacks on Health Care
Blog

Those Who Fled Torture, Persecution Treated “As Less Than Animals” by U.S. Officials Before Expulsion to Panama  

The woman seated facing me smiled briefly as she recalled her work in Afghanistan with a nongovernmental organization that supported women’s voting rights. This was before the Taliban takeover in 2021 – before her organization’s offices were ransacked and directors imprisoned, before her town’s mayor warned that she was on a list of women wanted […]

April 23, 2025
Asylum
Press Release

Trump Administration’s Immigration Policies and Rhetoric Block Access to Health Care: PHR Research Brief

The Trump administration’s immigration policies are resulting in decreased access to health care among undocumented immigrants, individuals with other immigration statuses, and U.S. citizens, according to a new survey of 173 health care professionals across the United States, published today by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR). Medical professionals report that fear is already contributing to […]

April 17, 2025
Asylum
Brief

Consequences of Fear: How the Trump Administration’s Immigration Policies and Rhetoric Block Access to Health Care

The current climate surrounding immigration enforcement and deportation has created widespread fear that, according to health care providers, is directly reducing health care utilization. This avoidance extends beyond those that are undocumented to visa-holding immigrants, mixed-status families, and even U.S. citizens. Telehealth has emerged as a vital tool for maintaining access to care while minimizing […]

April 17, 2025
Asylum
Press Release

Kenyan Court Delays Justice for Survivors of Post-Election Sexual Violence  

The Court of Appeal in Nairobi, Kenya today failed survivors of the 2007-2008 post-election sexual violence by delaying the judgement in a landmark court case.   “As the litigation at the High Court and Court of Appeal (Civil Appeal No. E645 of 2021) have been ongoing for more than 12 years, today’s postponement of a scheduled […]

April 11, 2025
Sexual Violence
Press Release

MEDIA ADVISORY: Judgement Expected Friday in Landmark Court Case on Election-Related Sexual Violence in Kenya

The Court of Appeal in Nairobi will deliver its judgment on Civil Appeal No. E645 of 2021, brought by four survivors of election-related sexual violence during the 2007-2008 post-election violence in Kenya. The four survivors were previously denied redress due to the High Court’s failure to recognize government’s responsibility to protect them from election-related sexual […]

April 8, 2025
Sexual Violence
Press Release

Gaza Medics Mass Grave: Urgent Investigation and Accountability Needed

In response to United Nations (UN) reports that Israeli forces killed 15 medical and humanitarian workers and buried them in a mass grave in southern Gaza, the following statement is attributable to Sam Zarifi, JD, executive director at Physicians for Human Rights (PHR):   “The reported killings and burial of 15 health and humanitarian workers […]

April 7, 2025
Attacks on Health Care
Fact Sheet, Tools and Guides

Preparing for, Protecting Against, and Treating Tear Gas and Other Chemical Irritant Exposure: A Protestor’s Guide

Deceptively known as “less-lethal,” these weapons can in fact cause severe injuries and even death when used with excessive force. Physicians for Human Rights has worked extensively on the health impacts of these weapons and has issued the following guidance to help people seeking to exercise their right to protest prepare for, protect against, and […]

April 3, 2025
Weapons

Triveni DeFries

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 […]

March 31, 2025

Jim Recht, MD

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 […]

March 31, 2025
Press Release

New Evidence Details Credible Fear of Return for Individuals Detained and Expelled from the United States to Panama

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 […]

March 31, 2025
Asylum, Torture
Multimedia

[VIDEO] John Oliver Spotlights PHR Investigation on Last Week Tonight: ‘The term excited delirium should just be gone forever.’

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 […]

March 30, 2025
Excessive Force
Press Release

New Guide Helps U.S. Health Professionals Protect Patients from Immigration Enforcement

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 […]

March 13, 2025
Asylum, Attacks on Health Care
Tools and Guides

Health Care and U.S. Immigration Enforcement: What Providers Need to Know

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, […]

March 13, 2025
Asylum
Press Release

By Dropping EMTALA Lawsuit, Trump Administration Escalates Attacks on Pregnant Patients and Clinicians: PHR

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, […]

March 6, 2025
Reproductive Justice

Justice for Survivors of Post-Election Sexual Violence in Kenya

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.

March 4, 2025
Mass Atrocities, Sexual Violence

PHR 2025-2028 Strategic Plan

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.

March 4, 2025
Press Release

1762 Attacks on Health Care Over Three Years as Russia Escalates its War on Ukraine’s Doctors and Hospitals: PHR

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 […]

February 18, 2025
Attacks on Health Care

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