Physicians for Human Rights
Through evidence, change is possible.
Attacks in Syria and Yemen are turning disease into a weapon of war
Today we are seeing another cruel method of warfare emerge on the battlefield: the weaponization of disease, particularly in Syria and Yemen.
Joint Letter Urges Trump to Challenge Putin on Syrian Rights Violations
Today, on behalf of 10 non-governmental organizations, we at Physicians for Human Rights sent a letter to the White House urging US President Donald Trump to use the opportunity of the G20 meeting to press Russian President Vladimir Putin to help end war crimes being committed in Syria.
Neither Justice nor Treatment
Drug courts in the United States routinely fail to provide adequate, medically-sound treatment for substance use disorders, with treatment plans that are at times designed and facilitated by individuals with little to no medical training. In this report, Physicians for Human Rights shows how drug courts – designed to reduce incarceration and provide necessary treatment – struggle to meet medical and human rights standards.
A Map of Attacks on Health Care in Syria
When medical workers are killed, the human toll is not just their lives, but also the exponential number of people who will suffer without treatment and the many lives that will be lost as a result. When these attacks on health care become as prolonged and widespread as they have in Syria, the consequences reach far beyond the individuals and facilities lost.
PHR Unveils Anti-Torture Pledge for Health Professionals
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) today launched a pledge for health professionals across the United States to stand together in their rejection of torture, voicing the consensus that torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment are absolutely prohibited in all circumstances.
Physicians for Human Rights Statement on Alleged Chemical Strike in Khan Sheikhoun
Today, PHR condemns the apparent chemical weapon attack in the opposition-held town of Khan Sheikhoun in Syria’s Idlib governorate, as well as a suspected strike on the town’s medical facility, which was treating victims of the chemical attack.
Access Denied: UN Aid Deliveries to Syria’s Besieged and Hard-to-Reach Areas
As the conflict in Syria enters its seventh grueling year, Physicians for Human Rights calls attention to the Syrian government’s continued practice of deliberately and illegally manipulating UN humanitarian access to millions of people trapped in besieged and hard-to-reach areas of the country.
Turkey Again Postpones Trial of Human Rights Defender
PHR says arbitrary case against Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı must be dropped.
Revised Immigration Order Continues to Punish Refugees and Asylum Seekers
PHR condemns President Trump’s revised executive order on immigration, in particular its 120-day suspension of new refugee admissions.
PHR Appeals for Release of Imprisoned Iranian Doctor
PHR sent this letter to the Supreme Leader of Iran expressing our deep concern over the imprisonment of Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali on false charges.
PHR Urges Trump to Reject Torture
PHR joins human rights groups in urging U.S. President Donald Trump to refrain from any executive action that would revive the use of torture or any other abusive interrogation or detention techniques.
PHR Urges Russian Medical Community to Protect Health in Syria
PHR joins medical colleagues around the world in urging the Russian medical community to demand that its government ease the health care crisis in Syria.
A Global Trump Effect
Many of the people I know, myself included, didn’t believe Donald Trump could win the presidency. While we don’t yet know the impact President-elect Trump will have on human rights around the world, there is reason for all of us who care about human rights and freedoms to be concerned.
Blind to Justice: Excessive Use of Force and Attacks on Health Care in Jammu and Kashmir, India
In this report, Physicians for Human Rights describes the excessive and indiscriminate use of force against protesters by Indian state police and Central Reserve Police Forces with weapons misleadingly represented as “less than lethal.” While Indian authorities claimed that the use of these weapons was meant to reduce the potential for injuries or fatalities, PHR researchers found that their use had in fact caused serious injury and death.
Statement of Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large Stephen Rapp on the Proposed Elimination of the Office of Global Criminal Justice
Following reports of the proposed closure of the U.S. State Department office that focuses on war crimes, PHR today condemned the proposal and released this statement attributable to former U.S. ambassador-at-large Stephen J. Rapp, PHR board member: “The proposed closure of the Office of Global Criminal Justice represents a profound lack of understanding of the mechanisms necessary to hold war criminals accountable for their actions."
PHR Responds to Re-Authorization of Travel Ban
“We are deeply disappointed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today to re-authorize parts of the Trump administration’s draconian, needlessly cruel travel ban. It will only sow more chaos and heartbreak. What is particularly troubling about the court’s ruling today is that by designing a ‘bona fide relationship’ requirement, the court is effectively creating separate classes of refugees.
U.S. Torture Program Constituted Illegal, Unethical Human Experimentation
The CIA’s post-9/11 torture program – conducted at secret prisons around the globe – constituted an illegal, unethical regime of human experimentation.
As Drug Court Proponents Rally Around Capitol Hill, Legislators Beware (July 11, 2017)
As drug court proponents call for expanding drug courts as an alternative to incarceration for people arrested on drug-related charges, they are failing to address the intense debate about the efficacy of the courts and the need for policy reform that will allow people to access treatment outside the criminal justice system.
Attacks in Syria and Yemen are turning disease into a weapon of war (July 7, 2017)
Today we are seeing another cruel method of warfare emerge on the battlefield: the weaponization of disease, particularly in Syria and Yemen.
How Drug Courts Are Falling Short (June 8, 2017)
At 19 years old, Joshua Smith (not his real name) was diagnosed with an opiate use disorder. Following several attempts at treatment, Smith moved from California to a town in Arizona known for being home to recovery houses for those struggling with substance use disorders. Six months after he arrived in Arizona, Smith relapsed and overdosed on heroin.
Neither Justice nor Treatment (June 2017)
Drug courts in the United States routinely fail to provide adequate, medically-sound treatment for substance use disorders, with treatment plans that are at times designed and facilitated by individuals with little to no medical training. In this report, Physicians for Human Rights shows how drug courts – designed to reduce incarceration and provide necessary treatment – struggle to meet medical and human rights standards.
Access Denied: UN Aid Deliveries to Syria’s Besieged and Hard-to-Reach Areas (March 2017)
As the conflict in Syria enters its seventh grueling year, Physicians for Human Rights calls attention to the Syrian government’s continued practice of deliberately and illegally manipulating UN humanitarian access to millions of people trapped in besieged and hard-to-reach areas of the country.
PHR Appeals for Release of Imprisoned Iranian Doctor (March 2017)
PHR sent this letter to the Supreme Leader of Iran expressing our deep concern over the imprisonment of Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali on false charges.
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