Physicians for Human Rights
Encyclopedia
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) was founded in 1986 by a small group of doctors who believed the unique scientific expertise and authority of health professionals could bring human rights
violations to light and provide justice for victims. One of PHR's first missions was to testify on behalf of doctors and human rights activists in Chile, who were working against the military dictator Augusto Pinochet
. Since then, PHR has conducted pioneering research and field investigations in more than 40 countries.
PHR focuses on a set of core human rights violations:
PHR works to prove the health consequences of human rights violations. It also uses its research for advocacy focused on demanding accountability for crimes and recommending critical policy changes.
History =
How PHR Works =
Health professionals working with PHR use forensic investigations such as autopsies, as well as medical and pyschological evaluations, to determine what sort of abuse victims have endured. These evaluations can then be presented in court as evidence, or published in reports and brought to the attention of the media.
PHR also does advocacy work. This may include campaigning for the release of imprisoned health professionals, promoting policy change, or calling for governments to act in response to human rights violations.
, the first set of international guidelines for documenting torture. Dr. Vincent Iacopino, a senior medical advisor at PHR, was the lead author. The Istanbul Protocol provides a United Nations
recognized template for investigating torture and presenting evidence of torture for prosecution.
, and Afghanistan
by US forces, PHR published multiple reports including a June 2010 report, Experiments in Torture, which showed how CIA medical personnel sought to improve waterboarding
and other interrogation techniques that amount to torture. From 2005 to 2010, PHR published reports detailing the use of psychological torture on detainees, the authorization of enhanced interrogation techniques
, the physical and mental torture endured by detainees, and first hand accounts of such torture. PHR also played a central role in seeking to end health professional involvement in investigations and detention settings that use torture. PHR continues to lead the campaign to establish a Commission of Inquiry to investigate all aspects of allegations of detainee abuse and ill-treatment in the years after 9/11/2001.
Mass Atrocities =
Since its inception, PHR has investigated mass atrocities such as genocide
, mass killings, war crimes, and refugee crises. PHR's most recent investigations of mass atrocities have been in Burma, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, and Darfur.
PHR launched the International Forensic Program (IFP) in 1987 to meet the growing demand for forensic investigations, evaluations, and specialized training to provide evidence of human rights violations such as disappearances and war crimes. PHR's scientists conduct autopsies and exhumations in the field and have testified at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
and the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia and at the Special Court for Sierra Leone
. In the past year alone, the IFP trained 288 human rights investigators from 52 countries.
learn how to investigate mass graves and confront a long history of impunity for mass crimes. PHR also continues to investigate the alleged massacre
of an estimated 2,000 Taliban prisoners buried in 2002 at Dasht-e-Leili — a crime whose cover-up PHR is currently analyzing in new documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.
surveyed over 100 households in the Kutupalong camp in southeastern Bangladesh. More than 18% of the children in the camp were malnourished, putting conditions at a "critical" rank according to the World Health Organization
. These were Rohingya refugees escaping persecution in Burma, and then denied humanitarian aid in Bangladesh. Thousands of Rohingya refugees have fled Burma since 1991 and while roughly 28,000 have been granted refugee status by the Bangladeshi government, 200,000 have been denied this status and therefore denied access to UN aid. PHR has called for the Bangladeshi government to stop forcing the Rohingya back across the border and to grant them refugee status.
on the failure to protect Darfuri women and the continued sexual violence in the region.
Supported by evidence drawn from these three reports, PHR launched the Darfur Survival Campaign, mobilizing health professionals, students, and the general public to press for African Union
and UN Peacekeeping
troops to provide security in Darfur. The campaign also called for compensation and restitution for victims of the crisis.
focusing on the effects of the collapsed health system. In 2009, PHR released a report titled Health in Ruins: PHR reports on the man-made Health Crisis in Zimbabwe, which stated that the Mugabe
regime was responsible for the destruction of health, water, and sanitation systems in Zimbabwe and for denying its people the right to health. Following the collapse of the health sector, there were no functioning public hospitals and the cholera
epidemic spread, killing upwards of 2000 people. PHR called for the United Nations
and African Union
to help stabilize the government and prevent further human rights abuses.
Rape in War =
PHR is part of the international movement to end the use of rape as a weapon of war and works with local partners to do so. PHR seeks to train doctors, nurses, and lawyers so that they may document evidence of rape and use the evidence in court; raise awareness about cultures of impunity that allow women to be raped, or excommunicate and shame women who have been raped; and enable reparation and justice for victims.
, Kenya
, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic
, and Sudan
, five countries in Central Africa under investigation by the International Criminal Court
for mass crimes, including sexual violence. PHR is currently investigating two forensic sexual violence cases in the DRC as test runs for the Sexual and Gender Based Violence program, which will involve all five countries. This project seeks to train health professionals and lawyers in investigating and documenting sexual violence, with the hope that such investigations will become more common and more effective, and can then be used to support ending mass rape in these countries.
programs in Darfur to protect women from sexual assault
.
Persecution of Health Workers =
Doctors, nurses and other health professionals continually face persecution around the world for nondiscriminatory treatment of patients, specifically in areas of conflict. PHR advocates for medical neutrality, or the right to treat all patients equally regardless of their political position, race, or religion, and fights for the protection of medical personnel. PHR supports the position that health professionals and health services should not be disturbed in conflict. All civilians should have access to care at all times. PHR has published multiple reports on violations of medical neutrality in El Salvador
, Panama
, Kuwait
, Thailand
, India
, the former Yugoslavia
, and most recently in Bahrain
.
on Violations of Medical Neutrality through the United Nations Human Rights Council
.
to the forefront of AIDS prevention and treatment. At the time of their arrest they were not told of the charges against them. Later, they were accused of seeking to overthrow the Iranian government. In 2010, Dr. Kamiar Alaei was released from prison after serving two of his three year sentence. He is now working for his brother's release. PHR set up a campaign to advocate for Dr. Arash Alaei's release at iranfreethedocs.org.
National Student Program =
PHR launched a student program in 1996 to develop the next generation of human rights champions and cultivate their unique contributions to the movement. PHR hosts a student blog, and has toolkits to get students involved in PHR's work. Student advocacy for PHR includes participating in action alerts, urging elected officials to take action, and educating their local communities on health and human rights issues. Today, 3,700 students from 64 medical and public health school chapters learn human rights and advocacy through an on-line community, Regional Advocacy Institutes, and National Student Conference.
Founders and Famous PHR Associates =
External links =
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
violations to light and provide justice for victims. One of PHR's first missions was to testify on behalf of doctors and human rights activists in Chile, who were working against the military dictator Augusto Pinochet
Augusto Pinochet
Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte, more commonly known as Augusto Pinochet , was a Chilean army general and dictator who assumed power in a coup d'état on 11 September 1973...
. Since then, PHR has conducted pioneering research and field investigations in more than 40 countries.
PHR focuses on a set of core human rights violations:
- Atrocities against civilians during armed conflict
- Violence against women, especially rape as a weapon of war
- Torture and abuse of detainees
- Lack of access to health care due to racial, ethnic and gender discrimination
PHR works to prove the health consequences of human rights violations. It also uses its research for advocacy focused on demanding accountability for crimes and recommending critical policy changes.
History =
- 1988 First to document Iraq’s use of chemical weapons against Kurds
- 1996 Exhumed mass graves in the BalkansBalkansThe Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
- 1996 Produced critical forensic evidence of genocide in RwandaRwandaRwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
- 1997 Shared the Nobel Peace PrizeNobel Peace PrizeThe Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
for the International Campaign to Ban LandminesInternational Campaign to Ban LandminesThe International Campaign to Ban Landmines is a coalition of non-governmental organizations working for a world free of anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions, where mine and cluster munitions survivors see their rights respected and can lead fulfilling lives.The coalition was formed in... - 2003 Warned of health and human rights catastrophe prior to the invasion of Iraq
- 2004 Documented and analyzed the genocide in DarfurDarfurDarfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
- 2005 Detailed the story of tortured detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantánamo Bay
- 2010 Showed how CIA medical personnel sought to improve waterboardingWaterboardingWaterboarding is a form of torture in which water is poured over the face of an immobilized captive, thus causing the individual to experience the sensation of drowning...
and other interrogation techniques that amount to torture
How PHR Works =
Health professionals working with PHR use forensic investigations such as autopsies, as well as medical and pyschological evaluations, to determine what sort of abuse victims have endured. These evaluations can then be presented in court as evidence, or published in reports and brought to the attention of the media.
PHR also does advocacy work. This may include campaigning for the release of imprisoned health professionals, promoting policy change, or calling for governments to act in response to human rights violations.
Harnessing Health Professionals
PHR’s advocacy efforts are bolstered by more than 30,000 members who believe health professionals play a vital role in protecting human rights. To meet the growing demand for health professionals who are human rights investigators, PHR has developed three programs to train and deploy physicians, nurses, and other professionals.Global Torture
PHR works to document and prevent torture globally, and participated in the development of the Istanbul ProtocolIstanbul Protocol
The Manual on Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, commonly known as the Istanbul Protocol, is the first set of international guidelines for documentation of torture and its consequences...
, the first set of international guidelines for documenting torture. Dr. Vincent Iacopino, a senior medical advisor at PHR, was the lead author. The Istanbul Protocol provides a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
recognized template for investigating torture and presenting evidence of torture for prosecution.
US Torture
Following the use of torture on detainees in Guantanamo Bay, IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
by US forces, PHR published multiple reports including a June 2010 report, Experiments in Torture, which showed how CIA medical personnel sought to improve waterboarding
Waterboarding
Waterboarding is a form of torture in which water is poured over the face of an immobilized captive, thus causing the individual to experience the sensation of drowning...
and other interrogation techniques that amount to torture. From 2005 to 2010, PHR published reports detailing the use of psychological torture on detainees, the authorization of enhanced interrogation techniques
Enhanced interrogation techniques
Enhanced interrogation techniques or alternative set of procedures are terms adopted by the George W. Bush administration in the United States to describe certain severe interrogation methods, often described as torture...
, the physical and mental torture endured by detainees, and first hand accounts of such torture. PHR also played a central role in seeking to end health professional involvement in investigations and detention settings that use torture. PHR continues to lead the campaign to establish a Commission of Inquiry to investigate all aspects of allegations of detainee abuse and ill-treatment in the years after 9/11/2001.
Asylum Program
Through the Asylum Program PHR maintains a network of 400 volunteer health professionals across the country who help traumatized survivors of torture, war, and persecution seek safe haven in the United States. In the past year, PHR's volunteers provided evaluations for 380 asylum seekers and other people seeking relief from human rights abuses. PHR is now actively advocating for the health and well-being of detainees held in prison-like immigration centers throughout the US.Mass Atrocities =
Since its inception, PHR has investigated mass atrocities such as genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
, mass killings, war crimes, and refugee crises. PHR's most recent investigations of mass atrocities have been in Burma, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, and Darfur.
PHR launched the International Forensic Program (IFP) in 1987 to meet the growing demand for forensic investigations, evaluations, and specialized training to provide evidence of human rights violations such as disappearances and war crimes. PHR's scientists conduct autopsies and exhumations in the field and have testified at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda is an international court established in November 1994 by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 955 in order to judge people responsible for the Rwandan Genocide and other serious violations of international law in Rwanda, or by Rwandan...
and the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia and at the Special Court for Sierra Leone
Special Court for Sierra Leone
The Special Court for Sierra Leone is an independent judicial body set up to "try those who bear greatest responsibility" for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sierra Leone after 30 November 1996 during the Sierra Leone Civil War...
. In the past year alone, the IFP trained 288 human rights investigators from 52 countries.
Afghanistan
In September 2009, PHR initiated a three-year project with the support of the US State Department Human Rights Bureau to help the government and civil society of AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
learn how to investigate mass graves and confront a long history of impunity for mass crimes. PHR also continues to investigate the alleged massacre
Massacre
A massacre is an event with a heavy death toll.Massacre may also refer to:-Entertainment:*Massacre , a DC Comics villain*Massacre , a 1932 drama film starring Richard Barthelmess*Massacre, a 1956 Western starring Dane Clark...
of an estimated 2,000 Taliban prisoners buried in 2002 at Dasht-e-Leili — a crime whose cover-up PHR is currently analyzing in new documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.
Bangladesh
In 2010 PHR Deputy Director Richard Sollom and Dr. Parveem Parmar from Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
surveyed over 100 households in the Kutupalong camp in southeastern Bangladesh. More than 18% of the children in the camp were malnourished, putting conditions at a "critical" rank according to the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
. These were Rohingya refugees escaping persecution in Burma, and then denied humanitarian aid in Bangladesh. Thousands of Rohingya refugees have fled Burma since 1991 and while roughly 28,000 have been granted refugee status by the Bangladeshi government, 200,000 have been denied this status and therefore denied access to UN aid. PHR has called for the Bangladeshi government to stop forcing the Rohingya back across the border and to grant them refugee status.
Burma
In October 2009, PHR launched a multi-year investigation of human rights violations in Burma, specifically in Chin State. Based on the strength of the early conclusions, PHR was invited to closed-door presentations with UN delegations. PHR's report Life Under the Junta: Evidence of Crimes Against Humanity In Burma’s Chin State was released in January of 2011. The report provided extensive documentation of the rape, military violence, torture, killing, disappearances, forced labor, and religious persecution endured by the people of Chin State under a military junta.Darfur
In 2004 and 2005 PHR conducted interviews with Darfurian refugees in Chad, and found evidence of attempts to wipe out non-Arab populations. Subsequently, PHR released a report detailing the use of rape as a weapon of war in Darfur. A third report was published in 2009 in coalition with the Harvard Humanitarian InitiativeHarvard Humanitarian Initiative
The Harvard Humanitarian Initiative is an interfaculty Harvard University initiative dedicated to advancing research, practice, and policy in the field of humanitarian assistance...
on the failure to protect Darfuri women and the continued sexual violence in the region.
Supported by evidence drawn from these three reports, PHR launched the Darfur Survival Campaign, mobilizing health professionals, students, and the general public to press for African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
and UN Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
troops to provide security in Darfur. The campaign also called for compensation and restitution for victims of the crisis.
Zimbabwe
In 2008, PHR launched an investigation in ZimbabweZimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
focusing on the effects of the collapsed health system. In 2009, PHR released a report titled Health in Ruins: PHR reports on the man-made Health Crisis in Zimbabwe, which stated that the Mugabe
Mugabe
Mugabe can refer to:*Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe.*Sally Mugabe, first wife of Robert Mugabe.*Grace Mugabe, second wife of Robert Mugabe.*Omugabe , a title given to kings of Ankole of Uganda.*Mugabe Were, a Kenyan politician....
regime was responsible for the destruction of health, water, and sanitation systems in Zimbabwe and for denying its people the right to health. Following the collapse of the health sector, there were no functioning public hospitals and the cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemic spread, killing upwards of 2000 people. PHR called for the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
to help stabilize the government and prevent further human rights abuses.
Rape in War =
PHR is part of the international movement to end the use of rape as a weapon of war and works with local partners to do so. PHR seeks to train doctors, nurses, and lawyers so that they may document evidence of rape and use the evidence in court; raise awareness about cultures of impunity that allow women to be raped, or excommunicate and shame women who have been raped; and enable reparation and justice for victims.
Sexual and Gender Based Violence
Currently, in 2011, PHR is focusing on UgandaUganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
, and Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, five countries in Central Africa under investigation by the International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
for mass crimes, including sexual violence. PHR is currently investigating two forensic sexual violence cases in the DRC as test runs for the Sexual and Gender Based Violence program, which will involve all five countries. This project seeks to train health professionals and lawyers in investigating and documenting sexual violence, with the hope that such investigations will become more common and more effective, and can then be used to support ending mass rape in these countries.
Sudan
In May 2009, PHR released a report Nowhere to Turn: Failure to Protect, Support and Assure Justice for Darfuri Women and convened a Capitol Hill briefing on sexual violence in Sudan and Chad. In late March 2010, the Sudan Envoy's Office acted on PHR’s recommendations and directed more than $2 million to support United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
programs in Darfur to protect women from sexual assault
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
.
Persecution of Health Workers =
Doctors, nurses and other health professionals continually face persecution around the world for nondiscriminatory treatment of patients, specifically in areas of conflict. PHR advocates for medical neutrality, or the right to treat all patients equally regardless of their political position, race, or religion, and fights for the protection of medical personnel. PHR supports the position that health professionals and health services should not be disturbed in conflict. All civilians should have access to care at all times. PHR has published multiple reports on violations of medical neutrality in El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, the former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, and most recently in Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
.
Bahrain
Following the violent anti-government protests calling for reform in February and March 2011, PHR began an investigation into attacks on doctors in Bahrain. Doctors had first-hand knowledge of the atrocities committed by government forces on protesters and civilians. In April 2011, PHR published a report detailing attacks on doctors who attempted to provide nondiscriminatory care to protesters. The attacks were systematic and some doctors were taken from their homes in the middle of the night, and dozens were arrested and detained. The Bahraini government also militarized the health system, further limiting access to care to those in need. PHR also documented the beating, abuse, and torture of physicians, the abduction of ambulances by military forces, and the invasion of hospitals. In the recent report Do No Harm: A Call for Bahrain to End Systematic Attacks on Doctors and Patients PHR called for the government of Bahrain to immediately end these attacks and for the US government to lead an international effort to appoint a Special RapporteurSpecial Rapporteur
Special Rapporteur is a title given to individuals working on behalf of the United Nations within the scope of "Special Procedures" mechanisms who bear a specific mandate from the United Nations Human Rights Council....
on Violations of Medical Neutrality through the United Nations Human Rights Council
United Nations Human Rights Council
The United Nations Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations System. The UNHRC is the successor to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights , and is a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly...
.
Iran: Free the Alaei doctors
In 2009 Dr. Arash Alaei and his brother, Dr. Kamiar Alaei, were convicted of working with an enemy government, the United States, and sentenced to six and three years in jail respectively. The Alaei brothers are internationally known AIDS doctors who focused on youth education on transmission and Iran's HIV/AIDS prison program, which passes out syringes and condoms in prisons. The Alaei brothers helped to bring IranIran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
to the forefront of AIDS prevention and treatment. At the time of their arrest they were not told of the charges against them. Later, they were accused of seeking to overthrow the Iranian government. In 2010, Dr. Kamiar Alaei was released from prison after serving two of his three year sentence. He is now working for his brother's release. PHR set up a campaign to advocate for Dr. Arash Alaei's release at iranfreethedocs.org.
National Student Program =
PHR launched a student program in 1996 to develop the next generation of human rights champions and cultivate their unique contributions to the movement. PHR hosts a student blog, and has toolkits to get students involved in PHR's work. Student advocacy for PHR includes participating in action alerts, urging elected officials to take action, and educating their local communities on health and human rights issues. Today, 3,700 students from 64 medical and public health school chapters learn human rights and advocacy through an on-line community, Regional Advocacy Institutes, and National Student Conference.
Founders and Famous PHR Associates =
- H. Jack GeigerH. Jack GeigerH. Jack Geiger, MD, MSciHyg,is a founding member and past president of Physicians for Human Rights, a founding member and past president of Physicians for Social Responsibility, a founding member and past president of the Committee for Health in South Africa, and a founding member and national...
- Carola B. EisenbergCarola B. EisenbergCarola Blitzman Eisenberg, MD, now retired but actively involved in human rights work through Physicians for Human Rights , Institute for Healthcare Improvement , and elsewhere, is the former Dean of Students of MIT , then Dean of Student Affairs at Harvard Medical School...
- Gregory C. CarrGregory C. CarrGregory C. Carr is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist. His most notable philanthropic venture is the restoration of Mozambique's famous Gorongosa National Park, which has been ravaged by civil war and environmental destruction...
- Richard GoldstoneRichard GoldstoneRichard Joseph Goldstone is a South African former judge. After working for 17 years as a commercial lawyer, he was appointed by the South African government to serve on the Transvaal Supreme Court from 1980 to 1989 and the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of South Africa from 1990 to 1994...
- Nathaniel RaymondNathaniel RaymondNathaniel Raymond is an American human rights investigator, specializing in the prevention and detection of torture. Raymond is best known for his leadership of the anti-torture campaign at Physicians for Human Rights, and his usage of satellite surveillance in the South Sudan as part of the...
External links =
- Physicians for Human Rights
- Broken Laws, Broken Lives Official site for Broken Laws, Broken Lives: Medical Evidence of US Torture and Its Impact (Physicians for Human Rights, June 2008)
- Iran, Free the Docs
- PHR Student Blog
- SourceWatch, "Physicians for Human Rights." Staff, board of directors, advisory committee, funding sources
- Physicians for Human Rights Accuses CIA of Carrying Out Illegal Human Experimentation - video report by Democracy Now!Democracy Now!Democracy Now! and its staff have received several journalism awards, including the Gracie Award from American Women in Radio & Television; the George Polk Award for its 1998 radio documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship, on the Chevron Corporation and the deaths of...