Physicians for Human Rights

10/19/2026

“I believe Ismael's death could have fully been prevented by timely care,” says Dr. Nick Cuneo, PHR medical expert, in the new documentary film “Dying in Detention.”

The documentary produced by Al Jazeera English Fault Lines investigates the death in ICE custody of Ismael Ayala-Uribe, against the backdrop of surging death rates in ICE detention under the Trump administration.

Dr. Nick Cuneo reviewed medical records for the documentary and shared his expert analysis. He determined it was “a major failure” that Ismael did not receive a physical examination or antibiotics.

Watch the whole documentary here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMIwRtMhrmc

10/13/2026

After decades of repression and conflict, Syria faces a critical opportunity to build a future grounded in justice, accountability, and human rights.

For PHR’s Maram Haddad, who returned to her homeland after 14 years, this moment is both deeply personal and full of hope.

Haddad reflects on Syria’s transition following the fall of the Assad regime, the challenges facing survivors of torture and sexual violence, and how PHR is working with Syrian partners to strengthen forensic documentation and advance survivor-centered justice.

“The road ahead is undoubtedly difficult, but after everything Syria and Syrians have endured, I find hope in the people who are determined to build a better future.”

Read her powerful reflections on the road to justice in Syria: https://bit.ly/3VDrUYh

10/09/2026

Survivors deserve justice. Perpetrators must face accountability.

The Trump administration's new sanctions on the International Criminal Court jeopardize a vital pathway to justice for survivors of atrocities – from women and children who survived sexual violence in the DRC to civilians facing attacks in Ukraine, Gaza, and Myanmar.

PHR has worked alongside survivors in countries where the ICC has active investigations. We see what is at stake: survivors' rights, their pursuit of justice, and efforts to prevent future atrocities.

A world without the institutions to end impunity for the horrors of war – including the ICC – makes all of us less safe, including Americans. The international community must act to protect the ICC and survivors' access to justice.

Read PHR Executive Director Sam Zarifi's full statement: https://phr.org/news/new-trump-administration-sanctions-on-the-international-criminal-court-icc-are-an-attack-on-survivors-of-atrocities-phr/

10/08/2026

Have a donor-advised fund? Put it to work for health and human rights this .

Your support helps PHR document abuses, protect people at risk, and turn medical and scientific evidence into action for justice.

Giving from your DAF is now easier than ever – use DAFpay through PHR’s secure donation form.

Give from your DAF today → https://bit.ly/3VTVDfu

09/18/2026

ICE is coercing immigrants into signing their deportation papers – even when they are facing severe medical crises in U.S. immigration detention.

Dr. Brian Elmore – part of a team from PHR, Las Americas IAC, Human Security Initiative, and HEAL Refugee Health & Asylum Collaborative – was on the ground in Tapachula, Mexico to document the harms inflicted by U.S. immigration officials during detention and deportation. The team is conducting evaluations of people who report being denied medical care in ICE detention.

One man with chronic illness told our team that “he signed his deportation papers because he didn't want to die” in ICE custody. Many people deported to Tapachula have zero ties to Mexico – they hail from other parts of the world, do not speak Spanish, and many have been in the United States for decades.

09/16/2026

⚕️ For 50 years, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee on Human Rights has helped defend scientists, engineers, and health professionals targeted for their work or for exercising their fundamental rights. Over these years, CHR has been a key partner for Physicians for Human Rights in many joint initiatives.

📺 In this new video, PHR Medical Director Dr. Michele Heisler – a member of the committee – reflects on why the scientific and medical communities have both the power and the responsibility to stand with colleagues under threat.

At PHR, we know that health professionals can do more than treat patients. 💙 They can document abuses, expose injustice, amplify survivor’s voices, and help transform evidence into accountability.

Watch Dr. Heisler’s reflections:

The Committee on Human Rights (CHR) of the National Academy of Scie...

09/11/2026

Attacks on health care across have created devastation for health workers and their patients who now face the prospect of a new escalation of violence.

Since 2020, the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, Eritrean Defense Forces, Tigray People's Liberation Front, Amhara Fano, and regional security forces have all been implicated in abuses. Investigations by PHR and the Organization for Justice and Accountability in the Horn of Africa (OJAH) have revealed attacks on ambulances, looting and armed takeovers of health facilities, violence against health workers, and conflict-related sexual and reproductive violence across the Tigray, Amhara and Afar regions. We have documented how this violence continues with impunity, in the absence of meaningful justice and accountability.

All parties to the conflict in Ethiopia must end these attacks. The international community must ensure independent investigations, protect access to care, and create meaningful pathways to justice and accountability.

We thank The Lancet for their coverage of this urgent crisis, and for reporting on PHR and OJAH's recent brief, "Stolen, Broken, Destroyed": https://phr.org/our-work/resources/stolen-broken-destroyed-how-impunity-has-fueled-ongoing-attacks-on-health-care-in-ethiopia/

Read The Lancet article here: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01757-5/abstract?rss=yes

08/20/2026

A new study co-authored by PHR medical expert Dr. Altaf Saadi with Paola Langer and Caitlin Patler examines the lasting mental-health consequences of interrupted medical care during U.S. immigration detention.

Following 192 people with chronic health conditions for up to three years after their release, the researchers found that 42% experienced interrupted medical care while detained.

Although psychological distress decreased over time after release, those who experienced interrupted medical care consistently reported higher levels of psychological distress than those whose care was not interrupted. Even three years after release, distress remained elevated among study participants.

The findings underscore an urgent consequence of U.S. immigration detention: disruptions in medical care are common and may be more than a temporary hardship. They are associated with lasting mental health inequities that can extend well beyond confinement.

Read the new study in Science Direct: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953626007434

08/19/2026

The warning signs are already visible in : renewed fighting, civilians displaced, health facilities stockpiling scarce supplies, non-emergency patients being turned away, and health workers going unpaid.

After more than five years of conflict, Ethiopia’s health system is unprepared for further escalation. The Ethiopian government, armed groups, and the international community must act now to:

▪️ Stop the violence including attacks on health facilities, ambulances, and health workers
▪️Independently document, investigate, and regularly report on violations
▪️ Hold perpetrators accountable through credible, survivor-centered processes
▪️ Restore funding for medicines, health infrastructure, and services for survivors
▪️ Pay health workers their salaries and owed back pay

“Accountability is essential to disrupt the patterns of violence we have documented,” said PHR’s Payal Shah. “And that accountability starts with investigation.”

The Government of Ethiopia, African Union, United Nations, and international donors must not wait for the health system to collapse. Protect health care. Fund recovery. Deliver justice to survivors.

Read the new brief from PHR and OJAH: https://phr.org/our-work/resources/stolen-broken-destroyed-how-impunity-has-fueled-ongoing-attacks-on-health-care-in-ethiopia/