Alexa

"[Bystander video] is one of the tools at the disposal of everyday people that is a cornerstone of really being able to hold government actors accountable + help individuals who cannot be there on the ground understand what is happening," @alexakoenig.bsky.social:
www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

Innovative but Precarious: The Challenge of Running Open-Source Investigations Labs at Public Universities [Alexa Koenig, PhD, MA, JD, is a research professor at UC Berkeley School of Law, faculty director of UC Berkeley’s Human Rights Center, and director and co-founder of the center’s Investigations L…

In a new @opiniojuris.bsky.social blog, HRC's @alexakoenig.bsky.social & @bmcg-leyh.bsky.social from @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social reflect on the challenges of running open source investigations labs at public universities: opiniojuris.org/2026/01/12/i...

Innovative but Precarious: The Challenge of Running Open-Source Investigations Labs at Public Universities [Alexa Koenig, PhD, MA, JD, is a research professor at UC Berkeley School of Law, faculty director of UC Berkeley’s Human Rights Center, and director and co-founder of the center’s Investigations L…

"We believe that Open-Source Investigation Labs can and should become part of the educational and research infrastructure of the public university."
— Opinion by Prof. Alexa Koenig and Utrecht University’s Prof. Brianne McGonigle Leyh: https://bit.ly/4aYZHRo #BerkeleyLaw @alexakoenig.bsky.social

El Salvador’s mega-prison: what UC Berkeley researchers found Alexa Koenig, Berkeley law co-faculty director, Human Rights Center, shares findings into the deportations of Venezuelan's to El Salvador's CECOT prison. The UC Berkeley research team was part of a st...

Watch: Professor Alexa Koenig, co-faculty director of @hrcberkeley.bsky.social, appeared on @ktvufox2.bsky.social to discuss research on El Salvador’s CECOT prison: https://www.ktvu.com/video/1759430 #BerkeleyLaw @alexakoenig.bsky.social

Canadian #ICC Judge Prost has spoken about the emotional & practical toll that US sanctions against her have taken.

Yet Ottawa will not speak out against these sanctions. The reason, I have had confirmed, is bc Canada is afraid of American anger at calling sanctions out.

A sad state of affairs.

Excellent segment, not just on the 60 Minutes debacle but also on the broader importance of open source research, analysis and verification.

Very well done, @alexakoenig.bsky.social!

Thank you, Gregg!

Thank you. I'm very proud of the students' work and grateful to everyone who has played a role in reporting out these stories

Thanks, David! I echo your thanks to the 60 minutes team that reported this story, as well as HRW and Cristosal for their critical research, and the men who demonstrated incredible courage in telling their stories

Thanks to 60 Minutes for covering this important issue. I'm incredibly grateful to all of the members of the Human Rights Center team for their work and to Human Rights Watch for trusting us with a small piece of their effort to illuminate the experiences of the men sent to CECOT 👇

It's been a big week! 👇

Investigating sexual and gender-based crimes online To celebrate the publication of the Open-Source Practitioner’s Guide to the Murad Code, our Faculty Director Alexa Koenig sat down with…

I chatted with @alexakoenig.bsky.social at @hrcberkeley.bsky.social about investigating sexual and gender based crimes online.

Anyone who knows me can tell you this is something I care deeply about and we're at a cultural turning point to either stop it or let it flourish
medium.com/@maggie.visu...

Thank you, Kolina, for the conversation and you're important work!

Collaborations Across Borders and Disciplines: Insights from Open-Source Investigations [Isabella Regan is PhD researcher at the department of Law, Society and Crime of Erasmus School of Law, Rotterdam, focusing on public and private open-source investigations and atrocity crimes. Ale…

"A structural approach to OSI collaborations may enhance rigorous, credible and meaningful investigations that leverage the richness of multidisciplinary input, rather than being hampered by it." Read more in @opiniojuris.bsky.social / @alexakoenig.bsky.social:
opiniojuris.org/2025/11/24/c...

“You Have Arrived in Hell” The 81-page report, “‘You Have Arrived in Hell’: Torture and Other Abuses Against Venezuelans in El Salvador’s Mega Prison,” provides a comprehensive account of the treatment of these people in El Sal...

2/2 For HRW's critical reporting, see www.hrw.org/report/2025/...

Investigating hell: How our students supported Human Rights Watch’s report on El Salvador’s CECOT This is a co-authored post by Talia Harter, Maneh Davityan, Kyle Sweasey, Nick D’Acri, Ana Gonzalez, Audrey Colocho, Daniella Spero

1/2 "Investigating Hell" - our student team at the @hrcberkeley.bsky.social's Investigations Lab discuss their methods + experiences conducting open source research for Human Rights Watch's important new report "You Have Arrived in Hell"
medium.com/humanrightsc...

“You Have Arrived in Hell” The 81-page report, “‘You Have Arrived in Hell’: Torture and Other Abuses Against Venezuelans in El Salvador’s Mega Prison,” provides a comprehensive account of the treatment of these people in El Sal...

🚨 1/2: Our Investigations Lab students + staff contributed essential research verifying detention conditions and patterns of abuse in @hrw.org + @cristosal.bsky.social's new report on arbitrary detention, torture + inhumane conditions in El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison.
🔗 www.hrw.org/report/2025/...

Annual Report 2024/2025 - Berkeley Human Rights Center

2/2: This work is possible thanks to the tireless work of our staff Linda Gordon, @alexakoenig.bsky.social, @betsypopken.bsky.social, and more. Explore more about this work in our 2024/25 Annual Report: humanrights.berkeley.edu/publications...

🧵4/5: On 11/5 @ucberkeleylaw.bsky.social, we're screening Estado de Silencio (State of Silence), a documentary on violence against journalists in #Mexico. Panel to follow with Santiago Maza, @berkeleyjournalism.bsky.social, @betsypopken.bsky.social + more!
RSVP: events.berkeley.edu/hrc/event/22...

🧵3/5 @bellingcat.com's Director for Research and Training @giancarlofiorella.bsky.social & Investigator and Trainer @koltai.bsky.social spent 3 days visiting our Investigations Lab + @alexakoenig.bsky.social, sharing research and open source investigative methods with students.

HRC October Newsletter Email from Human Rights Center New wildfire safe and healthy research, fellowship conference, and more!     October 2025 Newsletter 2024–2025 student fellow Rachel Wallace presents on a panel at the 2

🧵1/5 Our October newsletter just dropped! Check out our new projects & latest updates, including groundbreaking research on farmworker safety, a visit from @bellingcat.com to our Investigations Lab, our annual Human Rights Fellowship Conference, & much more: conta.cc/43JPELf

Climate Disasters Initiative Profile YouTube video by Human Rights Center, UC Berkeley

1/2: Through the Climate Disasters Initiative, the Human Rights Center @ucberkeleylaw.bsky.social partners with frontline communities, analyzes disaster laws and policies, and trains students to advance equity in preparedness and recovery: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpNe...

Student Fellowship Profile YouTube video by Human Rights Center, UC Berkeley

For 30+ years, our Student Fellowship Program has trained the next generation of #HumanRights leaders—providing hands-on experience that shapes their research, advocacy & careers. Watch one fellow's story below!
🌍 400+ fellows
🤝 350+ orgs
✈️ 88+ countries
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgti...

Annual Report 2024/2025 - Berkeley Human Rights Center

This work is possible thanks to the tireless work of our wonderful students, staff, and partners! Explore the Lab's impact and more in our 2024/25 Annual Report: humanrights.berkeley.edu/publications... @alexakoenig.bsky.social @betsypopken.bsky.social

Investigations Lab Profile YouTube video by Human Rights Center, UC Berkeley

Our Investigations Lab trains students in #OSINT & digital verification to document human rights violations worldwide. We’ve partnered with @amnesty.org, @hrw.org, @apnews.com & more to investigate abuses in Sudan, Iran, the United States & beyond. Explore more: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT6D...

Thank you!

Thrilled that HRC Faculty Director @alexakoenig.bsky.social is one of the inaugural members of Women Transforming Global Security, a new feminist global network addressing crises related to nuclear weapons proliferation, climate change, human rights, and more: transformingsecurity.org

HRC's @alexakoenig.bsky.social and @lindsaysfreeman.bsky.social each have new articles out in @uchicagolaw.bsky.social's International Law Journal's summer 2025 edition! Check out the full journal here, with the articles linked below:
cjil.uchicago.edu/print-archiv...

2/2 With a big thanks to colleagues and important thought leaders who've done important work at this intersection: @anthonyghaly.bsky.social Andrea Richardson Hannah Bagdasar Charlotte Maher and others

1/2 Article out from Chicago on guidelines we'll be launching this fall w/ the Institute for International Criminal Investigations on using #OSINT methods to investigate sexual and gender-based violence w/ the goal of bringing two int'l investigative worlds together cjil.uchicago.edu/print-archiv...