Pursuing justice through science, technology, and law.
Based at the world’s top public university, we investigate human rights violations and international crimes; set standards for practitioners; and train the next generation of human rights defenders.
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Explore our Projects
For thirty years, the Human Rights Center has spearheaded and contributed to complex projects that span the fields of international justice, public health, investigative journalism, and much more.
Local and Global Partnerships
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.
Media Inquiries
Journalists are encouraged reach out to connect with our expert sources, explore potential collaboration through our Investigations program and Lab, access professional reports and publications, and more.
What’s Happening
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July 14, 2026
ICE misused crowd control weapons against protesters 412 times within 1 year: Analysis
HRC in the News — THE HILL: ICE misused crowd control weapons against protesters 412 times within 1 year: Analysis, on HRC’s Investigations Lab students who helped verify and build a record
July 14, 2026
HRC in the News — The Guardian: ‘Misuse’ of crowd-control weapons on ICE protesters led to blindings and traumatic brain injuries, report finds, on HRC’s Investigations Lab students who
July 13, 2026
Open-source investigation documents 412 incidents of misuse and 203 injuries across 16 U.S. cities from June 2025 through May 2026, with sharp increases in the cities where Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino oversaw operations.
June 24, 2026
Project Launch: From Conflict and Chaos to Justice and Understanding
HRC in the News — Airwars: Project Launch: From Conflict and Chaos to Justice and Understanding, on HRC’s upcoming project.
June 22, 2026
New student blog series on climate displacement and migration
Climate change is redrawing the map of human movement as much as it is reshaping the world’s ecological systems. With millions already displaced by climate disasters, our global community is facing a complex “polycrisis”
July 14, 2026
ICE misused crowd control weapons against protesters 412 times within 1 year: Analysis
HRC in the News — THE HILL: ICE misused crowd control weapons against protesters 412 times within 1 year: Analysis, on HRC’s Investigations Lab students who helped verify and build a record
July 14, 2026
HRC in the News — The Guardian: ‘Misuse’ of crowd-control weapons on ICE protesters led to blindings and traumatic brain injuries, report finds, on HRC’s Investigations Lab students who
June 24, 2026
Project Launch: From Conflict and Chaos to Justice and Understanding
HRC in the News — Airwars: Project Launch: From Conflict and Chaos to Justice and Understanding, on HRC’s upcoming project.
June 22, 2026
HRC in the News — #Verified by the Human Rights Center: How Guatemala Can Implement the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ Landmark Opinion on the Global Climate Crisis, written by Rachel
June 10, 2026
Expansion and Erasure: Investigating Violence and Displacement in the West Bank
Student Reflections — #Verified by the Human Rights Center: Expansion and Erasure: Investigating Violence and Displacement in the West Bank, co-authored by Investigations Lab students
April 20, 2026
HRC in the News — TRIAL International: Landmark Case Filed Before African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights Over Alleged Violations in Mali Involving Armed Forces and Wagner Group, press
December 23, 2025
KQED Newscast on CECOT Segment
HRC in the News — KQED Newscast: about HRC’s Investigations Lab, which was set to be featured in a 60 Minutes segment “Inside CECOT” before it was pulled just hours
December 10, 2025
Investigating sexual and gender-based crimes online
Commentary — #Verified by the Human Rights Center: Investigating sexual and gender-based crimes online, Alexa Koenig interviewing Bellingcat researcher Kolina Koltai. Left: Koltina Koltai
December 9, 2025
Israel rejects Gaza war crime allegations
HRC in the News — DW News: Israel rejects Gaza war crime allegations, interviewing HRC’s Alexa Koenig (5.00–14:20) about documenting allegations of war crimes.
December 3, 2025
HRC in the News — Centre for Information Resilience: A milestone in standards for CRSV investigations: The open-source practitioners guide to the Murad Code, featuring the HRC and IICI
September 1, 2025
Who controls California farmland? The hard-to-find answer is disturbing
Commentary — San Francisco Chronicle: Who controls California farmland? The hard-to-find answer is disturbing, co-authored by HRC Student Fellow Meredith Song. Left: Fresno County farmer
July 23, 2025
Too Hot to Handle – Garment Workers in the Era of Extreme Heat
Student Fellowship in the News — WARDROBE CRISIS with Claire Press: Too Hot to Handle – Garment Workers in the Era of Extreme Heat, featuring 2024 student fellowship alumna Cara Schulte.
March 21, 2025
On the ground with UC Berkeley Public Health’s Bhavya Joshi in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp
HRC in the News — UC Public Health: “Reaching the furthest behind, first:” On the ground with UC Berkeley Public Health’s Bhavya Joshi in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp, a feature on
November 4, 2024
Reproductive Health in Refugee Camps: A Lifeline Amid Compounded Crises
Student Fellowship in the News — UC Global Health Institute: Reproductive Health in Refugee Camps: A Lifeline Amid Compounded Crises, featuring 2022 student fellow Bhavya Joshi. Left:
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.