· Observable physical evidence such as tracks and footprints, clothes, bullet
or shell casings; observations made at the site of a human rights violation or
a crime scene, such as distances between objects, layout of an area, visibility
from various vantage points, terrain. Taking photos or video of the scene, where
possible and secure, is generally encouraged.
· Imagery, photos and videos – imagery such as that from satellites101 or drones,
which might locate a certain type of tank or artillery piece at a given moment,
or civilian objects (satellites can also provide before and after images of areas
exposed to attack, for example to show destruction or the location of disturbed
earth or gravesites); photos and videos – where they can be authenticated (i.e.,
the source can be verified to the relevant evidentiary standard) and photos taken
by the investigators.
Official open sources102
· National laws and policies and national court records – of the government
concerned, as well as internal documents, provided they were received from a
reliable source and their authenticity could be confirmed;
· Military and security forces’ websites and materials;
· Social networks (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, etc.) and other means of
communication deemed to be the “official�� sources for non-State actors, or that
suspects might use.
Other open sources
· Research and reporting by civil society, human rights defenders (HRDs), think
tanks, institutions and analytical organizations.
· Media reporting (including print, radio, television and online).
OHCHR has a memorandum of understanding in place with UNITAR/UNOSAT (United Nations Operational
Satellite Applications Programme) to provide imagery and analysis.
102
See below, section (c), “Publicly available information, open sources and social networks”.
101
COLLECTING AND ANALYSING THE INFORMATION
55
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents