Filming for human rights can be dangerous. It can put you, the people you are filming and the communities you are filming in at risk. Carefully assess the risks before you press “record”. Do your best to implement the guidance below, but understand that nothing stated in this guide is absolute and you should modify the practices to fit your needs. When possible, seek support from local experts. Even if you cannot fully implement this guidance, your footage may still provide valuable information that could lead human rights organizations and advocates to answers and, in turn, to the protection of our basic human rights. INTRODUCTION Video can be a powerful tool for documenting human rights crimes as they happen — images of civilians being tortured, a home being illegally bulldozed, forced labor conditions or chemicals being illegally dumped into a once clean river. However, if you are documenting for long-term justice and accountability, there is much more to capture in addition to the crimes. Video of the actual violation is important to successfully hold a perpetrator accountable. This shows: • What human rights crime was committed (e.g. murder, torture, rape, trafficking, excessive force, property damage, if the crime was widespread, if the crime took place during armed conflict). But lawyers must also prove: • Who committed the crime; and • How the perpetrator committed the crime (e.g. whether it was with their own hands, if they planned it, ordered the crime). If you are living in a place where mass atrocities or daily human rights violations are endured, “Filming Linkage and Notice Evidence” is perhaps the most important part of the Video as Evidence Field Guide to review. While footage documenting criminal acts is valuable, your efforts to capture linkage and notice evidence will likely prove to be of greater importance for long-term justice and accountability. 111 VIDEO AS EVIDENCE: PROVING RESPONSIBILITY V 1.0 FILMING PROVING RESPONSIBILITY: FILMING LINKAGE & NOTICE EVIDENCE