Human Rights

Just Security’s expert authors offer in-depth analysis on critical human rights challenges, including those related to armed conflict, emerging technologies, abuses by authoritarian governments, repression of human rights advocates and independent media, human rights litigation, racial justice, gender equality, and more.

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3,153 Articles
Children and adults hold candles and portraits of people killed in the conflict during a "March of Return" in Aleppo, Syria, on December 22, 2025. Displaced residents organized the event to commemorate the 2016 evacuation of eastern Aleppo and to mark the recent change in government following the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad administration. (Photo by Hibatullah Barakat / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

Transitional Justice in Post-Assad Syria: A Transformative Framework for Accountability and Reform

In designing an effective transitional justice framework in Syria, policymakers must employ careful sequencing, transparency, and broad participation in implementation.
People wave Syrian flags as they celebrate a year since the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian capital Damascus on December 8, 2025. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP via Getty Images)

Syria in Transition Series

Experts asses accountability, reconciliation, institutional reform, constitutionalism, and more in transitional Syria.
Four women in colorful garb and headwraps work in a flat, barren field, with lines of trucks full of what appear to be soldiers or fighters in the distance.

The Risks of Gender-Blind Conflict Analysis

The relevance of women to conflict, democratic resilience, and peacebuilding is evidence-based, yet they are commonly overlooked in forecasting and response.
Logos of WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram are displayed on a phone screen in front of a computer screen with a Facebook logo

Interface Design as a Condition of Remedy in Meta’s Platform Governance

The case of Meta's platforms in India reminds us that in digital governance, rights are not only written into policy, but must be written into design.
Close-up of several metal handguns laid side by side on a table, their barrels and triggers visible in tight rows, representing some of the thousands of weapons seized by the Mexican Army from drug traffickers in northern Mexico in January 2017. Gun reads: "U.S.A. [...] Springfield, Mass."

Firearms Trafficking Comes to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Recent Advisory Opinion

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights' recent advisory opinion addresses the obligations of States and private actors to prevent and combat illicit trafficking of firearms.
A photographer with camera on a tripod stands in front of a soaring glass and sand-colored facade with a curved roofline.

If the U.S. Wants Durable Peace, It Must Protect the Institutions That Build It

A year ago, the Trump administration seized the U.S. Institute of Peace and began to dismantle it, gutting a key capability to reduce and prevent violent conflict.
Wide shot ​view of the entrance to Abu Ghraib prison west of Baghdad ​on May​ 2, 2004, showing high concrete walls, a central gate, and a watchtower under a hazy sky​.

Fourth Circuit Affirms $42 Million Jury Verdict in Abu Ghraib Case

​In Al Shimari,​ the Fourth Circuit affirmed ​two Alien Tort Statute claims: conspiracy to commit torture and conspiracy to commit cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.
Elinor Hammarskjöld (on screen), UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, addresses the first session of the Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference of Plenipotentiaries on Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Humanity, held from Jan. 19-30, 2026. (via UN Photo)

The Crimes Against Humanity Treaty Advances with First Preparatory Committee

PrepCom’s success will depend on leadership, diverse perspectives, and a shared commitment to justice in a divisive multilateral environment.

Report Offers New Evidence of Starvation Crimes in Darfur

The evidence in the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab report demonstrates that the world is watching and gathering information to eventually bring those responsible to account.
Wooden gavel on a blue background with glowing digital circuit patterns, representing the connection between the legal system​ and data privacy​.​ (via Getty Images)

Technology and the ICRC’s GC IV 2025 Commentary

Surveys how the 2025 ICRC GC IV Commentary integrates technology into its analysis of specific rules, while raising concerns about its treatment of data as property.
AI holographic eye and data with network on a dark blue background.

Human Rights at Risk in the Sprint Toward AI Sovereignty

Policymakers and the private sector should work with civil society to ensure that the pursuit of “sovereign AI” does not undermine fundamental rights.
​A man, ICE Acting Director Caleb Vitello​, surrounded by a least two other men, members of the New York City Fugitive Operations Team​, conduct targeted enforcement operations on January 28, 2025 in New York City. The officers are in "POLICE ICE" tactical gear.

The Deeper Problem with ICE’s Arrest Warrants

DHS regulations do not ensure that ICE arrest warrants are supported by reliable probable cause findings. That failing poses significant Fourth Amendment risks.
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