Human Rights Research League

Human Rights Research League

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Research. Education. Advocacy. Development. (R.E.A.D.)

Mission statement

The Human Rights Research League (HRRL) is a non-governmental organization in consultative status with the United Nations (ECOSOC) aiming at protecting individuals by placing acts contrary to human rights and international humanitarian law, systemic grievances as well as humanitarian emergencies on the agenda. HRRL seeks to contribute to knowledge and research based public discussion and problem analysis without geographical, political, confessional or other limitations or alignments.

As our name suggests, we are an organization primarily focused on research from the basis of a strong academic foundation. However, we recognize that lasting impact and positive change also depend on connecting academics and practitioners, combining research on root causes of human rights challenges with implementation of projects and policies addressing those grievances.

To this end, we are engaged in four focus areas: Research. Education. Advocacy. Development. (R.E.A.D.), all with a view to bridging the gap between academic and practical approaches to human rights, and between problem analysis and implementation of solutions.

News & reports

‹ Back

On the occasion of the intersessional update on Ukraine on 16 December 2025 with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Tuerk, Human Rights Research League underscored that the Russian Federation has systematically disregarded the most fundamental principles governing human rights and humanitarian law, including the obligation to draw a clear distinction between civilians and combatants, on the battlefield as well as in detention, to respect the laws in force in occupied territory, and the prohibition against deporting persons from that territory. Irrespective of a person's legal status, extrajudicial killings, torture, ill-treatment, and enforced disappearances are prohibited. Russia has violated all those principles and actively taken steps to exempt Russian soldiers from criminal liability for any abuses which otherwise would have been punishable even according to Russian criminal law. These combined measures indicate they may form part of a systematic and widespread policy amounting to crimes against humanity. For further details, please see the video of the Oral Statement on UN Web TV.

Conferences & calls

ESIL Research Forum, Department of Law, University of Catania, Italy, April 15-16, 2021

2021-01-13 19:14 The next ESIL Research Forum is now reschedueld to take place on 15-16 April 2021 at the Department of Law, University of Catania, Italy. The ESIL Research will address the topic: 'Solidarity: The Que...

Call for Papers: 7th Annual International Refugee Law Student Writing Competition

2021-01-13 00:00 The American Society of International Law's International Refugee Law Interest Group (IRLIG) announces its seventh annual International Refugee Law Student Writing Competition, co-sponsored by the Glo...