We pursue justice through science, technology, and law.

We research and investigate war crimes and human rights violations.

 

We develop standards for policymakers and practitioners.

 

We train investigators, students, and advocates.

Who We Are

Using evidence-based methods and multidisciplinary frameworks, we collaborate with impacted communities, build blueprintable solutions to address some of the most significant human rights challenges of our time, and support efforts to hold perpetrators accountable. In doing so, we catalyze our work into effective action to further justice and accountability efforts.

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Human Rights and…

Justice

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Working With Partners Across Disciplines

The Human Rights Center works across domains and disciplines to address the most pressing global challenges of our time. We work closely with top human rights organizations, legal institutions, universities, media platforms, tech companies, and beyond to unearth the truth and seek justice and accountability.
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MacArthur Foundation
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What’s Happening

Show me:
A platter with mint, herbs, nuts, tomatoes, and olives.

June 28, 2024

Nourishing the heart with Helia Sadeghi

HRC in the News — #Verified by the Human Rights Center: Nourishing the Heart With Helia Sadeghi, a feature on HRC researcher Helia Sadeghi.

People hold a rainbow flag up to the sunlight, their silhouettes can be seen behind it.

June 27, 2024

Pride in Supporting LGBTQI+ Children in Humanitarian Emergencies

HRC Reflections — #Verified by the Human Rights Center: Pride in Supporting LGBTQI+ Children in Humanitarian Emergencies, authored by Julie Freccero and Audrey Taylor.

A photo illustration using the portrait of a stoic man, with people in hazmat gear on behind him.

June 26, 2024

French Court of Appeal Validates Historic Arrest Warrant for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad: A Legal Milestone and Important Victory for Survivors

HRC in the News — Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression: French Court of Appeal Validates Historic Arrest Warrant for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad: A Legal Milestone and

An illustration with a blurred city background, and various triangles layered on top.

June 26, 2024

War Crime Prosecutions Enter a New Digital Age

HRC in the News — WIRED: War Crime Prosecutions Enter a New Digital Age, interviewing Alexa Koenig about SITU Research’s digital platform created for the ICC’s Al Hassan case.

A map of Ukraine showing areas where forests have been impacted by fire. The areas impacted are shown in red, and the areas not impacted are shown in green.

June 25, 2024

Mapping our Environmental Footprint

Investigations Lab Reflections — #Verified by the Human Rights Center: Mapping our Environmental Footprint: The OSINT Forest Tracker as a Case Study for Digital Investigations of

A platter with mint, herbs, nuts, tomatoes, and olives.

June 28, 2024

Nourishing the heart with Helia Sadeghi

HRC in the News — #Verified by the Human Rights Center: Nourishing the Heart With Helia Sadeghi, a feature on HRC researcher Helia Sadeghi.

People hold a rainbow flag up to the sunlight, their silhouettes can be seen behind it.

June 27, 2024

Pride in Supporting LGBTQI+ Children in Humanitarian Emergencies

HRC Reflections — #Verified by the Human Rights Center: Pride in Supporting LGBTQI+ Children in Humanitarian Emergencies, authored by Julie Freccero and Audrey Taylor.

A photo illustration using the portrait of a stoic man, with people in hazmat gear on behind him.

June 26, 2024

French Court of Appeal Validates Historic Arrest Warrant for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad: A Legal Milestone and Important Victory for Survivors

HRC in the News — Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression: French Court of Appeal Validates Historic Arrest Warrant for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad: A Legal Milestone and

An illustration with a blurred city background, and various triangles layered on top.

June 26, 2024

War Crime Prosecutions Enter a New Digital Age

HRC in the News — WIRED: War Crime Prosecutions Enter a New Digital Age, interviewing Alexa Koenig about SITU Research’s digital platform created for the ICC’s Al Hassan case.

An illustration of two scales and a circular olive branch are seen on a window of a building.

June 17, 2024

Exclusive: ICC probes cyberattacks in Ukraine as possible war crimes, sources say

HRC in the News — Reuters: Exclusive: ICC probes cyberattacks in Ukraine as possible war crimes, sources say, citing HRC’s ongoing investigation into Russian cyber attacks and Article

An orange wildfire burns with brown and black smoke shrouding the sky above.

December 5, 2023

Climate candor: Ridding climate cases of questionable science

HRC in the News — Open Global Rights: Climate candor: Ridding climate cases of questionable science, authored by Alexa Koenig and Baiboon Sakulkarunaarree.

A view of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation from the bank of the Missouri River in Forest City, South Dakota. Nearby, there are three oil worker man camps. Kristina Barker

January 8, 2021

A crude virus: How man camps can cause a COVID surge

Commentary — High Country News: A crude virus: How man camps can cause a COVID surge by Kalen Goodluck, Lucy Meyer and Anjali Shrivastava (a collaboration with the Human Rights Center).

Image by NOAA on Unsplash

October 19, 2005

Human rights researchers find widespread problems after 2004 tsunami

HRC in the News — Berkeley News: Human rights researchers find widespread problems after 2004 tsunami, writing about the report “After the Tsunami: Human Rights of Vulnerable

People hold a rainbow flag up to the sunlight, their silhouettes can be seen behind it.

June 27, 2024

Pride in Supporting LGBTQI+ Children in Humanitarian Emergencies

HRC Reflections — #Verified by the Human Rights Center: Pride in Supporting LGBTQI+ Children in Humanitarian Emergencies, authored by Julie Freccero and Audrey Taylor.

October 13, 2023

Fighting Impunity: International Criminal Court President Describes Triumphs and Challenges

Berkeley Law: Covering HRC event with ICC president Piotr Hofmański.

FAM Caregiver recruitment ad. Image by Freedom Forward.

April 11, 2023

Five lessons on housing for youth impacted by commercial sexual exploitation

Commentary — #Verified from the Human Rights Center: Five lessons on housing for youth impacted by commercial sexual exploitation, authored by Julie Freccero and Audrey Taylor.

Ugandan women collage

June 17, 2021

Five ways to prevent child marriage in refugee communities: 280 girls speak out

Commentary — Berkeley Blog: Five ways to prevent child marriage in refugee communities: 280 girls speak out, by Julie Freccero and Audrey Taylor.

Image by SJ Objio via Upsplash

March 1, 2021

Hundreds of health workers attacked amid pandemic

HRC in the News — Associated Press: Hundreds of health workers attacked amid pandemic.   Image by SJ Objio via Upsplash

A platter with mint, herbs, nuts, tomatoes, and olives.

June 28, 2024

Nourishing the heart with Helia Sadeghi

HRC in the News — #Verified by the Human Rights Center: Nourishing the Heart With Helia Sadeghi, a feature on HRC researcher Helia Sadeghi.

An illustration with a blurred city background, and various triangles layered on top.

June 26, 2024

War Crime Prosecutions Enter a New Digital Age

HRC in the News — WIRED: War Crime Prosecutions Enter a New Digital Age, interviewing Alexa Koenig about SITU Research’s digital platform created for the ICC’s Al Hassan case.

A map of Ukraine showing areas where forests have been impacted by fire. The areas impacted are shown in red, and the areas not impacted are shown in green.

June 25, 2024

Mapping our Environmental Footprint

Investigations Lab Reflections — #Verified by the Human Rights Center: Mapping our Environmental Footprint: The OSINT Forest Tracker as a Case Study for Digital Investigations of

A woman speaks into a microphone.

June 16, 2024

Working Towards Justice

HRC in the News — California Magazine / Leah Worthington, Working Towards Justice, profiling HRC’s Investigations Lab and featuring an ongoing investigation into the

Lines of code on a computer.

June 3, 2024

Technology Can Monitor Human Rights Violations and Bring Perpetrators to Justice

HRC in the News — ABA Magazine: Technology Can Monitor Human Rights Violations and Bring Perpetrators to Justice, authored by Alexa Koenig.

A photo illustration using the portrait of a stoic man, with people in hazmat gear on behind him.

June 26, 2024

French Court of Appeal Validates Historic Arrest Warrant for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad: A Legal Milestone and Important Victory for Survivors

HRC in the News — Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression: French Court of Appeal Validates Historic Arrest Warrant for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad: A Legal Milestone and

An illustration of two scales and a circular olive branch are seen on a window of a building.

June 17, 2024

Exclusive: ICC probes cyberattacks in Ukraine as possible war crimes, sources say

HRC in the News — Reuters: Exclusive: ICC probes cyberattacks in Ukraine as possible war crimes, sources say, citing HRC’s ongoing investigation into Russian cyber attacks and Article

Two hands with arrows drawn around them press on a keyboard.

June 10, 2024

The Role of International Justice in Cyber Defense and Deterrence

HRC Reflections — Digital Front Lines: The Role of International Justice in Cyber Defense and Deterrence, authored by Lindsay Freeman.

Ruins of a city re pictured.

March 18, 2024

Le défi des enquêtes sur le web

HRC in the News — La Presse: Le défi des enquêtes sur le web, interviewing Lindsay Freeman. Left: In Eastern Ghouta, Syria, more than 1,000 people were killed in sarin gas attacks in

An illustration of two scales and a circular olive branch are seen on a window of a building.

March 13, 2024

Evidence of Russian Cyber Operations Could Bolster New ICC Arrest Warrants

Commentary — Lawfare: Evidence of Russian Cyber Operations Could Bolster New ICC Arrest Warrants, authored by Lindsay Freeman.

Palestinians walking amid the rubble of destroyed buildings

April 29, 2024

International prosecution of Israeli or Hamas leaders wouldn’t bring quick justice − and even bringing them to court will be difficult

Student Fellowship in the News — The Conversation: International prosecution of Israeli or Hamas leaders wouldn’t bring quick justice − and even bringing them to court will be difficult, authored

A young man sits and looks off-camera, there are two other people closer to the camera that are not in focus.

December 12, 2023

Fighting Uphill Battles, Human Rights Center Student Fellows Stay Resolute in Their Work

Spotlighting 2022 fellow alumnus and keynote speaker Anthony Ghaly and 2023 fellow Maria Fernanda Quintero Sirtori.

Human Rights Center fellow, Anthony Ghali.

December 19, 2022

Rare Feat: Berkeley Law Students Present Their Research at Major International Forum

HRC in the News — Berkeley Law: Rare Feat: Berkeley Law Students Present Their Research at Major International Forum, student researchers highlighted.

Net positive? Paul Salomone, a fisheries management biologist, samples herring to help determine whether the fishery should be opened for the day. (Nathaniel Wilder)

August 29, 2022

This Tiny Fish Holds Together Ecosystems and Cultures—It’s Also Under Threat, The Nation, written and reported by 2021 student fellow Brett Simpson

Student Fellowship Alumni — The Nation: This Tiny Fish Holds Together Ecosystems and Cultures—It’s Also Under Threat, The Nation, written and reported by 2021 student fellow Brett

HRC 2022 fellow Bhavya Joshi smiling for a picture.

June 24, 2022

Reproductive Health and Women’s Rights Researcher Includes Women Refugees from Ukraine to Croatia

HRC in the News — ReciHr: Reproductive Health and Women’s Rights Researcher Includes Women Refugees from Ukraine to Croatia, interviewing 2022 student fellow, Bhavya Joshi, on