Case study Investigating mass killings in Burundi The bodies of at least 70 people executed by government forces in Burundi in December 2015 mysteriously disappeared leading to rumours of a mass grave. An Amnesty International field researcher spent 10 days taking photos and interviewing witnesses after the killings, but more evidence was needed. Satellite photos could probably help locate a grave, if only they knew where to look. Thankfully, Amnesty received a video from a contact in Burundi showing the alleged burial site. Google Earth was consulted online for the exact coordinates, and eventually satellite images really showed disturbed earth on the identified spot. The finding of a mass grave via satellite gained massive media coverage and helped create political pressure. Ten years ago Amnesty would not have had such a video, since people in Burundi wouldn’t have had cellphones with cameras. Thanks to the evolution of technology, investigators now have many more tools to incorporate in their traditional field work. Photo: Satellite image showing disturbed earth in the Buringa area, which is consistent with witness accounts and video footage of mass graves. ©DigitalGlobe 2016. For any data to be useful for human rights documentation, you need to be able to show the place it came from, when it was created, who created it, and why. Place, Time, Person, Motivation. 13