Who we are

Boston Human Rights is an independent, source-first publication on human rights in Iran, the United States and Africa. We are based in Boston.

We write for readers who want to understand what is happening and be able to check it: people with family and community ties to these places, and anyone who wants coverage they can share with the original sources attached.

Our mission

To keep the record open. Human rights abuses are easiest to commit when nobody is looking, and easiest to forget when nobody writes them down. We read the primary reports, check them against each other, and turn them into short, clear briefings and explainers that link back to the originals.

We apply one standard everywhere: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the treaties governments have signed. That means we report on policies and practices wherever they occur, including in the United States.

What we cover

Across all three regions we follow issues that cut across borders: migration and asylum, press freedom, digital rights and internet shutdowns, the death penalty, and accountability. See the Issues page.

How we work

• Primary sources first. We start from UN bodies, court documents and original reports from monitoring organisations and news agencies, and link to them directly rather than to someone else’s summary. When we can only cite a summary, we say so.
• Dated links. Every factual claim carries a named source and a date, so you can see how current it is and open it yourself.
• Honest numbers. We say “at least” for counts, name who produced each figure, and explain when organisations’ numbers differ and why. We separate what has been verified from what has been reported.
• Advocacy and exile-owned sources are labelled. Human rights organisations, advocacy groups and outlets owned or run from exile are valuable and often first, but they have a perspective. When we rely on one, we attribute the claim to it by name and, where we can, look for a second source.
• Responses included. Where a government or armed group has denied an allegation and our source reports the denial, we include it.
• Care for people. We tell individual stories carefully and do not publish details that could put someone at risk.
• Corrections. If we get something wrong, or a newer source changes the picture, we fix the page and note the change visibly rather than quietly editing it. To report an error, use the Contact page and include the page, the line and the source.

We do not carry out original field investigations. We read, compare and explain the work of others, and we credit it.

What we are not

• We are not affiliated with Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the ACLU or any other organisation whose reports we cite, and we are not affiliated with any government.
• We are nonpartisan on US politics: we describe policies and practices and cite findings, not parties.
• We are not a legal aid service. Nothing on this site is legal advice, and we cannot take on or advise on individual cases.
• We do not offer a secure tip line. Please do not send sensitive information about people who may be at risk.

Get in touch

Questions, corrections and newer sources are welcome. Contact details are on the Contact page. To follow our work, see Take Action.