Release of the Open-Source Practitioner’s Guide to the Murad Code
The Institute for International Criminal Investigations (IICI) and the Human Rights Center at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (HRC) are pleased to announce the publication of the Open-Source Practitioner’s Guide to the Murad Code, a critical new resource designed to support the safe, ethical, and effective digital gathering and use of information related to systematic and conflict-related sexual violence (SCRSV).
Developed in partnership with leading experts, practitioners, and survivors of SCRSV, the companion guide to the Global Code of Conduct for Gathering and Using Information about Systematic and Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (the “Murad Code”) provides actionable guidance for investigators, human rights researchers, journalists, analysts, and civil society organisations that work with online open-source material and may intentionally or unintentionally handle information related to SCRSV.
Practitioners working with open-source information in conflict or human rights contexts, may face numerous scenarios where they encounter material depicting SCRSV, even when not directly searching for it. These scenarios raise urgent questions about consent, data handling and survivor protection. The Open-Source Practitioner’s Guide operationalises the Murad Code's minimum standards through three investigation phases: preparation, investigation and verification, and reporting. It addresses critical issues including:
Legal and ethical considerations, particularly regarding child sexual abuse material
Risk assessment and mitigation strategies for physical, digital, and psychosocial security
Building trauma-aware, survivor-centred investigation protocols
Data minimisation and responsible preservation practices
Verification methods that counter bias and misinformation
Consent considerations for using publicly available information
The Guide is available in English, French, Ukrainian and Arabic.