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Moreover, the website provides links to further reading, for example, about faking your email identity. 224 Transport When traveling and transporting information, it is important to take into consideration the following guidelines (see also Section 2.2.6 on the logistics of the planning and preparation of documentation activities). • Always carefully consider the route and means of transport. • Make sure to have your travel documents in order, including driving license, possible passes, and vehicle registration. • If approaching unexpected checkpoints or police roadblocks, attempt to stop in order to observe other vehicles passing through first. • Avoid areas prone to banditry and try to travel by convoy, as this can deter attacks. • Avoid driving alone or at night. • Try to remain discrete and refrain from attracting unnecessary attention. • Always be careful in traffic, and observe local driving regulations. • Take food and water with you, as it might not be available at your destination. • Make sure to dress appropriately for the conditions. 4.3.3 Personal Security Not only the collection of information, but also the holding of important information on serious human rights violations may pose serious threats to your personal security (see Section 2.2.2 on security measures in the planning and preparation stage). The information security measures discussed so far are important for keeping the information secure, but also protect everyone involved from others knowing who knows and does what in terms of documenting the occurrences. Perpetrators of human rights violations have an interest in destroying evidence, and may well consider violent means to do so. Security risks can originate from many different persons or organizations, including terrorists, gangs, (drug) cartels, (international) criminals, and warlords. These risks can also originate from the police, military forces, opposition groups, rebel forces, local chiefs, or 224 See the Security in-a-box website: https://securityinabox.org/en/guide/secure-communication. 134

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PILPG Handbook on Civil Society Documentation of Serious Human Rights Violations Sept 2016

Document

Documentation Purpose

Perpetrator-centred documentation

Topic(s)

Data/Information Strategy
Preservation and Archiving
Verification

Type

Guide

Description: Increasingly, civil society actors engage in documentation and investigation processes, seeking to collect evidence against those responsible for serious human rights violations. The purpose of this Handbook is to provide guidelines and best practices for the collection and management of information on serious human rights situations for those that are not professionally trained in such documentation practices. While the Handbook strongly emphasizes the need to refrain from investigating human rights abuses and to refer to professionals, practice shows that this is not always possible. Only under such circumstances and as a last resort may civil society actors consider engaging in certain documentation practices and not in others, always seeking to include professionals when and where possible. They may however only do so by adhering to the ethical principles and documentation guidelines that are provided in this Handbook. These enable unofficial investigators to do no harm, identify security risks, preserve crime scenes, prevent the loss of evidence, and manage the information in manner that preserves confidentiality, security and probative value, with an eye to possible use in later redress processes and without jeopardizing the future work of professionally trained and officially appointed investigators.

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PILPG_Handbook_on_Civil_Society_Documentation_of_Serious_Human_Rights_Violations_Sept_2016_tcm289-785328.pdf
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PILPG Handbook on Civil Society Documentation of Serious Human Rights Violations Sept 2016

Primary Documents

Verification Handbook

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