Nizam Peerwani
Encyclopedia
Nizam Peerwani, M.D. is the chief medical examiner
for Tarrant County
, Texas
. Locally, he is probably best known for his role in the David Koresh
–Mount Carmel incident in Waco
, Texas
and in the trial
of Chante Jawan Mallard
. Dr. Peerwani is also quite well known within the international human rights community.
His work with organizations like Physicians for Human Rights
has taken him to numerous countries around the world where his skills as a forensic pathologist gives voice to those who died unjustly. Among his work includes the evaluation of genocide
and human rights violations within Rwanda
. He testified to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda regarding the forensic team's findings. Dr. Peerwani was an advance team member in the evaluation of genocide within Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Although these are examples of his high profile work, his travel and investigations throughout the world, including Iraq
, Afghanistan
, Indonesia
, El Salvador
, Guatemala
and more, provides essential service to those who need it most. His forensic evaluation provides scientific testimony to judicial systems that predominantly rely upon hearsay for their evaluation of cases. Dr. Peerwani was honored in October 2006 by Physicians for Human Rights for his human rights work.
Dr. Peerwani is a graduate of the American University of Beirut
(MD '76). He completed his residency in pathology at Baylor University Medical Center
in Dallas
, and is board certified in clinical, anatomic and forensic pathology. He lives in Fort Worth with his wife and daughter. He also has a daughter who attends Boston University and a son who is a pathology resident at the Cleveland Clinic. He is the grandfather of twin boys and a little girl.
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
for Tarrant County
Tarrant County, Texas
Tarrant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, it had a population of 1,809,034. Its county seat is Fort Worth. Tarrant County is the sixteenth most populous county in the United States and the third most populous in Texas. The county is named in honor...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Locally, he is probably best known for his role in the David Koresh
David Koresh
David Koresh , born Vernon Wayne Howell, was the leader of a Branch Davidian religious sect, believing himself to be its final prophet. Howell legally changed his name to David Koresh on May 15, 1990. A 1993 raid by the U.S...
–Mount Carmel incident in Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and in the trial
Trial (law)
In law, a trial is when parties to a dispute come together to present information in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court...
of Chante Jawan Mallard
Chante Jawan Mallard
Chante Jawan Mallard is a woman from Fort Worth, Texas who was convicted and sentenced to 50 years' imprisonment for her role in the death of a 37-year-old homeless man, Gregory Glen Biggs....
. Dr. Peerwani is also quite well known within the international human rights community.
His work with organizations like Physicians for Human Rights
Physicians for Human Rights
Physicians for Human Rights was founded in 1986 by a small group of doctors who believed the unique scientific expertise and authority of health professionals could bring human rights violations to light and provide justice for victims...
has taken him to numerous countries around the world where his skills as a forensic pathologist gives voice to those who died unjustly. Among his work includes the evaluation of genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
and human rights violations within Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
. He testified to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda regarding the forensic team's findings. Dr. Peerwani was an advance team member in the evaluation of genocide within Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Although these are examples of his high profile work, his travel and investigations throughout the world, including Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
and more, provides essential service to those who need it most. His forensic evaluation provides scientific testimony to judicial systems that predominantly rely upon hearsay for their evaluation of cases. Dr. Peerwani was honored in October 2006 by Physicians for Human Rights for his human rights work.
Dr. Peerwani is a graduate of the American University of Beirut
American University of Beirut
The American University of Beirut is a private, independent university in Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded as the Syrian Protestant College by American missionaries in 1866...
(MD '76). He completed his residency in pathology at Baylor University Medical Center
Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine, located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas, USA, is a highly regarded medical school and leading center for biomedical research and clinical care...
in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, and is board certified in clinical, anatomic and forensic pathology. He lives in Fort Worth with his wife and daughter. He also has a daughter who attends Boston University and a son who is a pathology resident at the Cleveland Clinic. He is the grandfather of twin boys and a little girl.