Image: Outside Comalapa Memorial Site, Guatemala Melanie Klinkner and Howard Davis “The truth is an empowering and healing force. We embrace it for the past, the present and the future.” (UN Secretary-General António Guterres) When mass atrocities and human rights violations are committed, knowing the truth about what happened matters. It matters to…
Anna Charlton Wadjemup Rottnest Island is an island 20km off the Western Australian (WA) coast. Today, for the hundreds of thousands of people that visit each year, it is one of WA’s most popular tourist destinations – famous for its pristine beaches, cycling, snorkelling and quokkas – but for First Nations communities, it holds a profoundly different significance. Wadjemup is part of the traditional lands belonging to the Whadjuk Noongar nation and is a sacred place…
Jorge Eduardo Jasso Cuéllar Technological advancements in forensic science, including as part of the investigation of mass graves, have significantly changed the way identification and forensic examinations are conducted. For example, over the past decades, forensic practice has evolved from primarily relying on fingerprints and dental records to employing highly sophisticated genetic profiling techniques.…
Diego R. Nunez Mass graves contain evidence that is essential for the realisation of truth, justice and reparation. In this sense, their protection plays a fundamental part in State’s compliance with their human rights obligations. This position is further reinforced in the international legal landscape. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR), for instance, has…
Malvika Verma The theme for International Migrants Day this year highlights how human mobility drives communities to connect and support each other, ultimately facilitating safer migration. This is most evident in zones witnessing high mobility, but at the same time, also seeing higher risks for migrants during the migration cycle. It is not uncommon…
Ellen Donovan A year ago, the Assad regime in Syria fell to Hay’at Tahir al-Sham. Vaunted as one of the most impenetrable regimes of the 21st century, the rapid collapse of the Syrian state reminds us that unpredictability cannot in itself be conflated with impossibility. Nevertheless, one year later, initial jubilation and optimism for…
Melanie Klinkner It does not require much reflection to conclude that, overall, 2025 has not been a good year from a human rights perspective. Regardless of whether international law is in ‘crisis’, dead or still alive, mass atrocities keep being perpetrated at an alarming rate. Claims of mass graves in Sudan’s city of el-Fasher…
Diego R. Nunez The 9th of December marks the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime. Many similar symbolic dates exist around the world and, when related to tragedies, they all seem to rely on the belief that acknowledgment and…
Emily Fisher If we understand violence not just as use of physical force but as an act that causes psychological harm to a person, we can understand that families of the forcibly disappeared, more often than not whom are women, are also victims of violence, violence that must be addressed. On this…
Jorge Eduardo Jasso Cuellar Forensic science, human rights, and data protection converge in a complex yet vital field that is all about uncovering the truth and seeking justice. Mass graves, for example, raise hard moral and practical questions. Looking into these sites needs careful science, legal responsibility, and respect for those who have…