Statement

Last week an Inspector of Police (IP) and a Police Constable (PC) who were accused of torturing a 25 year-old woman, Angalin Roshana Michael, were sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 10,000/= in lieu of which a further one year of imprisonment would be imposed. A former Officer-in-Charge of […]

It has been two months and a few days since the new state administration took charge in Uttar Pradesh. The Chief Minister has openly declared that her government would not tolerate any form of caste based discrimination in the state. But so far the promises have remained just promises and no action is reflected on […]

After a man in Mettaya, upper Burma, assaulted U Than Lwin on 15 June 2007, he ran for cover in the local office of the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), a government-organised mass mobilising body. Police officers who came to the office were refused access, and they did not demand it, despite the fact […]

Mr. Neeraj finally decided to put an end to everything. On June 12, 2007 he consumed a large dose of poison and committed suicide. Neeraj was a handloom weaver from Benipur village in Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh. Neeraj’s family was in the handloom weaving industry making silk sarees. The industry by and large is […]

In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court of Pakistan today 20 July 2007 declared the suspension of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftekhar Choudry, by the president, General Pervez Musharaff, to be illegal and instructed that he be reinstated.  The Asian Human Rights Commission salutes the Supreme Court of Pakistan for this bold, upright and […]

According to an Associated Press news report, police have arrested and charged a sergeant of the Royal Thai Army who was among a gang of around 30 that assaulted three British men in Nakhon Sawan, north of Bangkok, on 19 July 2007. No reason for the assault, which reportedly left one of the three seriously […]

(This is related to the AHRC’s original appeal – WORLD: An appeal to Muslim scholars throughout the world which may be found at:http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2007statements/1111/) The Asian Human Rights Commission is very much encouraged by the responses to its appeal to the Muslim scholars on July 9, 2007 on the issues relating to Rizana Nafeek’s case. We […]

The Board of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka made a decision to issue a circular prescribing a period of three months from the date of an incident for the receiving of petitions. Internal Circular No. 7, dated 20.6.2007, addressed to all directors, regional coordinators, legal officers and investigation officers, signed by D.J.B. De […]

A bomb blast in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, close to the venue where Chief Justice Iftehkar Chaudhry was scheduled to address lawyers, killed about 20 persons and injured more than 50, six of whom are in serious condition. Immediately following the blast the government announced that it had been a suicide bomb attack. However, […]

Want to buy a few women? Welcome to Rajasthan, a state in north India, known for its forts, palaces and of course the practise of Sati. Women are sold in open market by their parents in Rajasthan. In Dolpur for example women are sold on market days. The women market is just beside the cattle […]

The AHRC is happy to announce that the representative of the legal firm of Kateb Fahad Al-Shammari, Attorneys at Law has traveled to Dawadimi Jailhouse and was permitted by the Jail Administration to meet with Rizana Nafeek and escort her to a Notary Public and in order to issue a power of attorney in the […]

Mr. Charku Prasad Mukhya, the leader of the Ghasia tribe living in Raup village of Sonbadra district of Uttar Pradesh state can now hope that his peoples’ demands will be finally met by the state government. The state government sent its officers to Raup village on July 13, 2007 to promise the Ghasias that they […]

For a related article please see: http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2007statements/1108/ The plight of a teen aged girl facing the death sentence in Saudi Arabia, due to an incident that according to her happened while she was trying bottle feed an infant child of four months has received the sympathetic attention of the global media during the last week. Rizana […]

(We reproduce below a letter written to the editor of the Daily News of Sri Lanka pointing out the inaccurate and misleading information published in two articles on the case of Rizana Nafeek) For further information on the appeal kindly see: http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2006/2477/ http://www.ahrchk.net/pr/mainfile.php/2006mr/464/ http://www.ahrchk.net/pr/mainfile.php/2007mr/465/ http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2006statements/1113/ July 12, 2007 The Editor The Daily News The Associated […]

An effective witness protection law that is founded on a genuine attempt to cope with human rights violation is an integral part of a functioning criminal justice system. After years of negotiations, the Indonesian Law on Witnesses and Victims Protection was promulgated on August 11, 2006. Whether the law will help the country out of […]

The Sri Lankan government has not yet decided to pay the legal fees for the appeal from the death sentence of Rizana Nafeek while the deadline for the appeal is on July 16, 2007; nor has the government made any arrangements to facilitate the many offers of the payment of the legal fees by others. […]

The interim prime minister of Thailand, General Surayud Chulanont, has in recent days insisted that he will push ahead a raft of reforms to policing in Thailand. Two bills passed by his military-approved cabinet are to amend the 2004 Police Act and also allow for an independent complaints procedure on policing, something recommended to the […]

(UPDATE on Appeal – The Asian Human Rights Commission is encouraged by the initial response to this appeal. We encourage more persons to participate by writing their reflections and sending them in the manner set out below regarding this unfortunate, under aged girl Rizana Naffeek who is facing the death sentence for a mistake made […]

In recent days there have been reports that expose Thailand’s new draft constitution and the proposed referendum to bring it into force for the sham and fraud that they are. According to news articles, the country’s military-appointed assembly has already passed the draft Referendum Act through a first reading. If the short, imprecise act is […]

Naffeek Rizana is facing the death sentence in Saudi Arabia, allegedly for the strangulation of a four month old baby. Through close study of the case the Asian Human Rights Commission is satisfied that, in fact, what has taken place was the tragic death of a baby in the process of being fed by an […]