Human rights research · Iran · United States · Africa
Rights don’t stop at borders. Neither does the record.
Sourced, dated reporting and plain-English explainers on human rights in Iran, the United States and Africa, with every claim linked to the original report.
Three regions, one standard
Iran
Executions, the January 2026 crackdown, the internet blackout, journalists, women and minorities.
United States
Immigration detention and deaths in custody, federal enforcement, voting rights, the death penalty and free speech.
Africa
Sudan, eastern Congo, the Sahel and Ethiopia: atrocities, displacement, refugee funding and civic space.
Start here
The basics, explained
Short, sourced guides to the law and the language behind human rights reporting.
The Universal Declaration, explained
What the 30 articles say, who drafted them, and why the text is not a treaty.
War crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide
Three bodies of law, three crimes, and the steps from allegation to conviction.
ICC vs ICJ
Two courts in The Hague: one for individuals, one for states.
How to evaluate human rights reports · What scholars say about human rights · All explainers
Latest briefings and reports
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How to Evaluate Human Rights Reports and Sources: A Reader’s Checklist
Human rights reports range from UN investigations to anonymous social media posts. This checklist shows how to judge any report: source, method, numbers, legal…
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Iran and International Human Rights Law: The Treaties, the UN Mechanisms and the Monitors
A reference guide to Iran’s legal obligations: the treaties it joined and when, the ones it has not, the UN Special Rapporteur and Fact-Finding…
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War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide: How International Law Tells Them Apart
Three bodies of law, three atrocity crimes and four standards of proof. A plain-English guide to the words used in human rights reporting, so…
How we work
Primary sources first
We link to court documents, UN reports and the original research, not to summaries of summaries. Our methodology.
Dated and attributed
Every claim has a named source and a date, and allegations are kept apart from findings. Our editorial policy.
Corrected in the open
If we get something wrong, we fix it and say so. Our corrections policy.
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WAYS TO VOLUNTEER
Find the place where you can help
Human rights work depends on people who show up, notice details, and keep a careful record. If you’re in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Quincy, or anywhere nearby, there’s room for you here. Here are some of the ways you can get involved. Pick one, or tell us what you’d rather do.
Research and fact-checking
Read sources, check names, dates and places, and trace claims back to where they came from. If you’re careful and like getting details right, this is for you.
Community outreach
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Writing and translation
Draft and edit clear, plain-language pieces. Translate and review in Persian (Farsi), French, Arabic, Amharic, Swahili, and any other language you read and write well.
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Help set up, welcome people, and talk with visitors at community events and tables around Boston and nearby towns.
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- Your name
- Your neighborhood or town
- Your skills, including any languages you speak, read, or write
- Hours per month you think you could give (a rough guess is fine)
Add anything else you’d like us to know: what draws you to this work, a link to your portfolio, or the kind of role you have in mind.
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