HRDAG Takes a Stand Against Tyranny in the United States
by Patrick Ball and Megan Price
Today the Human Rights Data Analysis Group (HRDAG) publicly denounces the growing attacks on science and human rights in the United States. We reaffirm our commitment to using rigorous scientific research and data analysis to uphold accountability for perpetrators of violence—particularly when those perpetrators are in power.
For decades, HRDAG has sought accountability for those who have committed war crimes and genocide around the world. We have researched patterns of genocide, torture, disappearances, and other forms of state-sponsored violence in countries such as Guatemala, South Africa, and Haiti. We bring the same rigor to our analysis of systemic violence in the United States, including patterns of police misconduct and killings.
As a U.S. nonprofit, we have long relied on the U.S. legal protections that safeguard our scientific work and our right to publish our findings. We have not hesitated to share evidence-based analyses, even when they challenged the official position of the U.S. government. For example, we exposed the scope of the genocidal violence of General José Efraín Ríos Montt in Guatemala, a dictator supported by former U.S. president Ronald Reagan.
Today we recognize that the political environment in the United States has shifted. We now see other NGOs and academics engaged in human rights work being targeted, discredited, and silenced by those in power. As we witness these increasing violations of human rights in the United States, we feel compelled to speak out. These attacks mirror the signs of repression we have documented in other countries during our thirty-five years of research into state violence.
HRDAG is—and will be—a nonpartisan, nonpolitical organization. Our work is grounded in scientific analysis, the rule of law, and the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is not about opposing a political party or ideology—it is about standing against violations of human rights.
Attacks on Human Rights and Science
HRDAG has seen a range of attacks on civil society in the United States, including:
Sanctions against ICC Judges and Prosecutors
In August 2025, the U.S government imposed economic sanctions on four individuals serving as judges or deputy prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC), an international body that investigates and tries individuals charged with grave humanitarian crimes, such as genocide and war crimes. The International Bar Association condemned these sanctions as “a perversion of the rule of law.”
Attacks on Academic Institutions
Academic freedom organization Scholars at Risk has identified 40 attacks on higher education institutions by the U.S. government in the first half of 2025. The Trump Administration has frozen over a billion dollars in federal funding to academic institutions that did not align with its political perspectives.
Targeting of Philanthropic Human Rights Organizations
U.S. Vice President JD Vance has promised to “go after the NGO network that foments, facilitates and engages in violence,” and specifically named the Ford Foundation and the Open Society Foundations. Both are rightfully well-respected institutions that have supported human rights for decades—and HRDAG is proud to count them among our funders.
How You Can Stand with HRDAG Against Tyranny
If you are with a nonprofit organization or foundation, especially one grounded in human rights, you can stand with HRDAG by releasing your own statement affirming your own commitment to human rights works at this critical moment. Email info@hrdag.org to let us know if your organization is taking a stand. We are organizing a community conversation to discuss the threats to human rights research organizations.
You can also support us by sharing this message on social media and within your professional networks.
Most importantly, we encourage every organization working in the human rights space to reflect on your values and assess your tolerance for risk at this moment. Ask yourselves:
- How can we best uphold our mission to defend human rights amid these attacks?
- What risks are we willing to bear in pursuit of truth and justice?
- Where is our line in the sand—the point at which silence is no longer an option?
For HRDAG, that moment has arrived.
Being a human rights activist today requires us to denounce the growing attacks on constitutional and human rights by the US government. It requires acknowledging that the United States is no longer a safe environment for promoting human rights or publishing evidence of state violence. Nonetheless, despite the risks, our staff will continue to support civil society in our collective pursuit of justice.