Documenting an alleged human rights abuse can help preserve an account, but collecting or storing information can also expose the people involved. There is no universally safe camera, recording method, or digital workflow. Before documenting anything, consider the purpose, the local security context, who might gain access to the material, and whether the same purpose can be met with less identifying information. If the risk is significant, seek context-specific advice from qualified protection, legal, or investigative professionals.
Start with purpose and risk—not a recording device
First decide what the record is meant to do. Is it intended to preserve a witness’s account, document something directly observed, support a referral to a qualified investigator, or retain information for a later process? The answer affects what needs to be recorded and who might need to see it. Gathering more detail than the purpose requires can create more exposure without making the record more useful.
Before collecting information, consider the people who could be identified or harmed: the witness, the person documenting the incident, family members, interpreters, other people named in the account, and anyone visible or audible in a recording. Consider not only publication but also what could happen if a phone, notebook, computer, or file is inspected, confiscated, copied, shared accidentally, or accessed by someone outside the intended group.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in its Manual on Human Rights Monitoring, says methods for recording information should fit the security context. That means “more evidence” is not automatically the safest or best outcome. In some circumstances, not recording, delaying, or making a less identifying note may be the more responsible choice.
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- Ask what specific information is necessary for the intended purpose.
- Identify the people and details that the record could expose, including indirectly.
- Consider who may handle or access the material now and later.
- Choose a method only after weighing those risks against what it can reliably capture.
- If you cannot assess or manage a serious risk, pause and seek qualified, context-specific advice where possible.
This is general guidance, not a personal security assessment or a substitute for specialist protection advice. Conditions vary by location, by the likely adversary, and by the people involved.
Choose a method for the information you need
Written notes, photographs, audio, video, and digital open-source material can all contribute to documentation. They do not capture the same things, and none is inherently safest. OHCHR notes that notebooks, computers, cameras, and audio or video recorders may be used, while emphasizing that method selection depends on security. The comparison below describes practical trade-offs, not a universal ranking.
| Method | What it can capture | Risk and reliability questions |
|---|---|---|
| Written notes | An account, observations, and details the documenter chooses to record. | Could the notebook or file be found or inspected? Could a combination of location, timing, role, or wording identify the person even if their name is omitted? Separate identity details from the incident account. |
| Photographs | Visible details of a scene or object at the time an image is made. | Could people, surroundings, or other details reveal a source or location? Does taking the image itself create a security concern? What context is needed to understand what it shows? |
| Audio | Spoken testimony and, depending on the recording, other audible context. | A voice, distinctive expressions, or spoken place descriptions may identify a person. Do not record testimony without informed consent, and consider whether recording creates risk even when the person agrees. |
| Video | Moving images and sound, depending on how it is recorded. | Faces, voices, surroundings, and details in the recording may expose people. Consider consent, risk during collection, and who could access the device or file. |
| Digital open-source material | Information found in publicly accessible digital sources that may be relevant to an investigation. | A screenshot alone may not establish context or authenticity. Gathering, analysing, and preserving this material calls for a professional, ethical, and methodological approach. |
When comparing methods, ask five questions: how readily might it identify a source or documenter; can meaningful consent be obtained; what can it reliably capture; what happens if another party accesses the device or file; and can the context and provenance be preserved? These questions may point in different directions. Written notes allow the documenter to choose details, for example, but a notebook can still be inspected and an account can identify someone indirectly. A recording may preserve voice or visual context, but those same qualities can make the person recognizable. Digital material may be publicly accessible, yet a screenshot by itself may not establish when or where an item originated or whether it has been altered.
These risks are not exhaustive. A method that appears less identifying in one setting may be more exposing in another. The information captured, the circumstances of collection, and what happens to the record afterward all matter.
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Protect identity in the working record
Protecting a person’s name in a published account is not enough if the working material links that name to the testimony. OHCHR’s Manual on Human Rights Monitoring, Chapter 14, advises keeping interviewees’ identities and personal details separate from the incident report and using a code in the report. The manual puts it this way: “As a general rule, HROs should ensure that the identity and the personal details of interviewees are protected and kept separately from the interview report and other information on the human rights incident.” In practical terms, a working account can refer to a code while a separate identity key links that code to the person, if retaining that link is necessary at all.
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Keep any identity key apart from the account and restrict access to people who need it for their work. Think through whether the key itself is necessary, who controls it, and what could happen if it is exposed. Separation reduces direct linkage; it does not make an account anonymous or guarantee protection. The account and identity key may still be reconnected if both are accessible to the same person or discovered together.
A pseudonym or code cannot hide all identifying detail. Someone may be recognized from a combination of factors, such as a precise place and time, a distinctive role, relationships, a voice, or particular expressions. OHCHR specifically warns that a person may be identifiable through their voice, distinctive expressions, or descriptions of places. Review the account for details that are not needed for its purpose and could reveal who spoke or where they were.
- Use a code rather than a person’s name in the incident account when appropriate.
- Keep identity details separate from the account and limit access to them.
- Check combinations of details, not only direct identifiers such as names.
- Consider whether an interpreter or another person mentioned in the account could also be exposed.
- Do not describe a record as anonymous or confidential unless that description is accurate and within your control.
Obtain informed consent before recording testimony
OHCHR investigation guidance states that testimony should not be recorded without the witness’s informed consent. The guidance is explicit: “Testimony should not be recorded without the informed consent of the witness.” Consent should be about the actual recording and its foreseeable use, not merely agreement to speak. Explain, as clearly as circumstances allow, what you want to record, why, who may see it, and whether it could be shared or used later. Give the person a meaningful chance to decline recording.
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Agreement does not eliminate danger. A witness may consent without being able to predict what could happen if a device or file is accessed, or may feel pressure to cooperate. Consider whether the act of recording itself could draw attention or create a lasting, identifiable file. If a person does not consent, do not record their testimony. Consider whether a less identifying form of documentation is appropriate, but do not assume that a written note is automatically safe or that it is acceptable to preserve an account against the person’s wishes.
Be candid about limits. Do not promise confidentiality, anonymity, protection, or control over future sharing that you cannot guarantee. If you cannot explain the intended use and foreseeable sharing well enough for a person to make an informed decision, pause rather than presenting a vague assurance as consent. Consent to speak, consent to be recorded, and agreement to a particular future use are not interchangeable; explain what is proposed rather than relying on a broad, unclear yes.
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- Explain the purpose. Say what the record is intended to document and why recording, if proposed, is useful.
- Explain the form. Make clear whether you are taking written notes, making an audio or video recording, or collecting another kind of material.
- Discuss foreseeable access and sharing. Explain who may need to see the material and what you can and cannot control.
- Consider risks together. Ask whether the collection method or resulting record could expose the person or others.
- Obtain informed consent before recording testimony. If consent is not given, do not record testimony.
Make the account specific, accurate, and clear about what is known
A useful record distinguishes what the documenter directly observed from what another person reported and from what remains uncertain. Keep notes as specific and accurate as possible, but do not fill gaps with assumptions. A precise account can still be incomplete; marking uncertainty is more useful than presenting an inference as an observed fact.
OHCHR investigation guidance treats evidence as including physical, documentary, and testimonial material; digital information can be documentary evidence. Notes, photographs, records, digital material, and testimony are different forms of information. None should be treated as self-proving. A record may need to be assessed alongside its context and other available evidence.
- Identify whether a detail was directly observed, reported by someone else, or inferred.
- Record uncertainty rather than silently resolving it.
- Keep the context needed to understand what a note, image, or file relates to, while considering whether that context could identify someone.
- Avoid presenting an image or recording as proof of facts it cannot establish on its own.
- Keep identity information separate from the incident account when doing so is appropriate.
Specificity and protection can pull in different directions. The purpose of the record and the risk of identification should guide what detail is retained and who can access it. There is no single level of detail that is right for every incident or every security context. A record intended for a qualified investigator may need context that would not belong in a public account; do not assume the same version is suitable for every recipient.
Handle records as sensitive material
Collection is only one stage of the risk. A sensitive record can create exposure through storage, copying, access, or later sharing. Consider the consequences if a device is inspected or confiscated, if a file is sent to the wrong person, or if someone retains a copy you did not intend to create. Limit access to people who need the material for their work, and think about whether every identity detail or copy is necessary.
The OHCHR guidance supports controlled access to sensitive information and separating personal details from incident reports. It does not establish that any particular app, encryption product, storage platform, or device is suitable for a given threat. Do not treat a product label or a general claim of security as a substitute for assessing who may access the material and under what conditions. When consequences of exposure could be serious, get advice specific to the circumstances from a qualified professional.
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Before sharing a record, consider what the recipient needs and whether the material can be reduced or separated without undermining that purpose. A file may expose more than its visible subject: a voice, distinctive wording, or description of a place can identify someone. Review the content for such details, and consider the consequences of the recipient creating further copies or sharing it onward. Do not promise control over a record once it has left your possession unless you can actually exercise that control.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThink through the whole life of the material: collection, working access, any handoff, and later use. At each stage, ask whether the same people still need access and whether identifying details remain necessary. This is not a technical storage recipe; the guidance here cannot establish which device, service, or transfer method is safe in a particular setting. The practical point is to make access deliberate and to avoid creating or circulating unnecessary copies.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Use specialist protocols for digital open-source material and torture documentation
Digital open-source investigations
The Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations is a professional framework for gathering, analysing, and preserving digital open-source information in investigations of alleged violations of international law. It also addresses the safety of investigators and other people. It is a more appropriate reference than relying on a screenshot alone as proof of a digital item’s context or authenticity. The protocol is not a guarantee that collecting or keeping material is safe in a particular situation.
OHCHR’s Publications and E-Products Catalogue 2023 describes the Berkeley Protocol as a practical guide and lists print and electronic formats. The print edition is identified by ISBN 9789211542332. Readers seeking a reference for professional digital investigations can use that title and ISBN to identify the publication; the existence of a manual does not replace specialist training or a case-specific safety assessment.
Torture and ill-treatment
For suspected torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, the 2022 Istanbul Protocol: Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment provides guidance for effective investigation and documentation. It is intended to support systematic, evidence-based documentation and related protection and prevention work. Medical or forensic conclusions should be left to qualified health or legal professionals; a general documentation guide should not substitute for their expertise.
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A practical decision check before collecting or sharing
Use these questions to structure a decision, not as a guarantee of safety. If the answers reveal a serious, unresolved risk, pause and seek specialist advice where possible.
- Purpose: What does this record need to establish or preserve?
- Minimum necessary detail: Can the purpose be met without a name, voice, face, exact place, or other identifying information?
- Consent: If testimony will be recorded, has the witness given informed consent after hearing the purpose and foreseeable use?
- Collection risk: Could taking notes, photographing, recording, or accessing online material expose anyone at the time?
- Access: Who needs the record, and can access to identifying details be limited?
- Failure or exposure: What could happen if the device or file is inspected, confiscated, copied, or shared accidentally?
- Interpretation: Does the record distinguish direct observation, reported information, and uncertainty?
- Next step: Is there a qualified investigator, protection specialist, health professional, or legal professional who should guide this case?
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I document human rights violations safely?
Start with the purpose of the record and the local security context, not with a device. Identify who could be exposed through collection, storage, or sharing; record only what is needed; distinguish direct observation from reported information and uncertainty; and restrict access to sensitive details. There is no universally safe method, so pause for qualified, context-specific advice if the risk is significant.
How can I protect witnesses when documenting abuse?
OHCHR’s Manual on Human Rights Monitoring advises keeping interviewees’ identities and personal details separate from the incident report and using a code in the report. Keep any identity key separate and limit access to people who need it. A code does not prevent recognition through a voice, distinctive wording, place description, timing, role, or relationships.
Can I record a witness if they agree?
Obtain informed consent before recording testimony, as OHCHR investigation guidance requires. Explain the purpose, form of recording, foreseeable access and sharing, and limits on what you can control. Consent does not remove the security risk: consider whether recording itself or later access to the file could expose the witness. Do not record testimony if the witness does not consent.
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Are photographs, audio, video, or written notes the safest way to document abuse?
No single method is safest in every setting. Notes can still be found or identify someone indirectly; photographs and video can reveal people or places; voices and expressions can identify a witness; and a screenshot alone may not establish the context or authenticity of digital material. Compare methods by identification risk, consent, what they reliably capture, access risks, and whether context can be preserved.
What protocol should I use for digital evidence or suspected torture?
For digital open-source information, the Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations provides a professional framework for gathering, analysing, and preserving material and addresses safety. For suspected torture or ill-treatment, consult the 2022 Istanbul Protocol and qualified health or legal professionals. Neither protocol makes a particular collection method safe for every case, and a general article is not a substitute for specialist work.
The Bottom Line
Document only what serves a clear purpose, and assess risk before collecting, storing, or sharing it. Protect identity throughout the working record, obtain informed consent before recording testimony, and do not assume that a code, device, or file is inherently safe. When the possible consequences are serious, seek qualified advice suited to the people and conditions involved.
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