Urgent Appeal Case

SRI LANKA: Eighth case of extrajudicial killing of beggars in the Kalaniya Police Division should be investigated

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is making an exceptional Urgent Appeal after observing the increased numbers of systematic extrajudicial killings of beggars in Sri Lankan cities over the past few months. According to information that the AHRC has received, a beggar was clubbed to death by unidentified assailants with a sharp weapon […]

PAKISTAN: Impunity to police officials who tortured a poet to death in custody

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the five police officials allegedly responsible for torturing to death a poet in their custody are still at large. They have not been arrested and the investigation to book them is still ongoing after one month. It is reported that because of the […]

SRI LANKA: No prosecution of the police officers responsible for torturing FTZ workers

Dear friends,  Mr. K H Rangana Pushpakumara (31) of No: 140/A, Webada West, Webada is married and works at Noratel Lanka Ltd in the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in Katunaya. On 30 May 2011 Rangana participated in an action organized by the factory workers trade unions. Police officers attached to the Katunayake Police Station approached […]

SRI LANKA: Increasing number of crimes in Sri Lanka terrified with another death of woman

Dear friends,  On 25 September body of Ms. Srini Wasana Amaratunga was found at the Elakanda, Wattala in the Gampaha District. Srini had been missing since the morning of the 24th and her relatives made a complaint to the Negombo police. As is customary, the police took no action until her body was found a […]

INDIA: Woman commits suicide after suffering from police abuse in Murshidabad

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learnt that a woman victim of police abuse committed suicide in Jemoumapara village, Murshidabad district, West Bengal, India. Ms Mithu Dey was abused and assaulted in the presence of several villagers by personnel of the Kandi Police Station. The police raided her house on 3 August […]

INDIA: NHRC closes case of custodial death with compensation but no criminal inquiry

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is disturbed to learn that India’s National Human Rights Commission has deemed on 15 September 2011 a case of custodial death to be closed by the payment of compensation to the victim’s family, despite no criminal action taken against the perpetrators. Kalu Mondal was brought to the […]

SRI LANKA: Innocent man is extrajudicial killed by officers of the Dompe Police

Dear friends,  Mr. Ganearachchi Appuhamilage Gayan Saranga (29) of Katulanda, Dekatana, Dompe in the Gampaha District was arrested and extrajudicially killed by the police officers attached to the Dompe Police Station on 29 September 2011. Saranga was first arrested at his wife’s home and the police informed his relatives they needed to record a statement […]

SRI LANKA: Doctor’s negligence results in the removal of a person’s kidney

Dear friends,  Mr. Alahakoonge Supun Piyal of Pahala Madampella, Katana in the Gampaha District was admitted to the Negombo Base Hospital for medical treatment for abdominal pain on 18 June 2010. He underwent surgery for the removal of a kidney stone and when his condition worsened he was transferred to the Ragama Teaching Hospital. There […]

SRI LANKA: Denial of prosecuting the police officers responsible for killing of FTZ worker destroys faith in the country’s legal system

Dear friends,  Mr. Roshan Chanaka Rathnasekara (22) of Gal-Oluwa, Minuwangoda in the district of Gampaha, succumbed to his injuries on 1 June 2011 as a result of gunshot injuries received in the indiscriminate shooting by the police officers attached to the Negombo and Seeduwa Police Stations. The Sri Lanka police opened fire at the workers […]

SRI LANKA: Human Rights Defender tortured in public to death by Special Task Force of police

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that human rights defender Mr. Perumal Sivakumara (32) of Kalpitiya Road, Norochchole in the Puttalam District has died after being tortured in public by officers attached to the Special Task Force of the Sri Lanka Police. Perumal a well-known civil rights activist had gone […]

INDONESIA: Morowali district police shot and ill-treated protesters in Tiaka

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the shooting and ill-treatment of protesters by police between 22-24 August 2011 in Tiaka, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. During the protest for community rights against an energy company, held by the Student Alliance Front for North Bungku Utara and Mamosalato on 22 August 2011, […]

SRI LANKA: Body of Special Forces’ soldier exhumed following complaint of death by torture

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Ms. PAD Ariyawathi Saman Kumari (54) of No: 133, Thummodara Colony, Naththandiya in the Puttalam District has made a complaint about her son, a soldier who was attached to the Special Forces of the Sri Lanka Army being tortured and killed on 9 […]

SRI LANKA: Authorities fail to investigate death threats made against another journalist

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Krishan Jeewaka Jayaruk of Matara District is the regional news reporter of the Sinhala medium ‘Lankadeepa’ and English medium ‘Daily Mirror’ news papers, both are the of the most widely circulated newspapers in the island. On 1 September 2011 he received death […]

SRI LANKA: An innocent man detained for three years without being charged now suffers from ‘End Stage Renal Failure’

Dear friends,  Mr. Rasaratnam Jegatheeswaran (33) of Thiriketheeshwaram in Mannar District is currently detained in Welikada Prison in Colombo. Presently Rasaratnam is being treated at the Intensive Care Unit of the National Hospital in Colombo due to chronic kidney disease. Doctors have revealed to his wife that her husband is undergoing dialysis treatment. Rasaratnam has […]

SRI LANKA: 13 year old school child is beaten by a teacher in full view of the class – once again the educational authorities take no action

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a 13 year-old school child was beaten by his class teacher in full view of the other students of his class. The parents of the child and others demonstrated in front of the school and the educational authorities promised to take action. However, […]

SRI LANKA: OIC of the Pitabaddara Police led his officers to torture a complainant

Dear friends,  Mr. Jayasinghe Arachchige Chathura Manohara (29) of ‘Darshani’, Deniyaya Road, Pitabaddara in the Matara District was illegally arrested and severely tortured by police officers attached to the Pitabaddara Police Station on 10 July 2011. Manohara made a complaint to the police seeking protection for him and his house from the group of thieves […]

PAKISTAN: A minor girl was gang raped by a powerful man, his son, his brothers and nephews in the shadow of a fabricated marriage

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that an eleven-year-old girl was gang raped over a period of one month by a power family from the Palari tribe of Sindh province while her family was kept in illegal detention. After the hectic efforts from a rights organization a session court has […]

SRI LANKA: A suspect is tortured in front of the Jaffna Magistrate by officers from the Headquarters Police Station

Dear friends,  Mr. Udaya Pushparaja Antony Nithyaraja (31) of Jaffna District was illegally arrested and severely tortured by seven police officers in front of the Magistrate of Jaffna while the court was in session on 20 September 2011. Antony had voluntarily gone to the court and appeared before the Magistrate through his lawyer and stated […]

PHILIPPINES: Investigate two separate incidents of torture in Basilan

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received details about the torture of two men in separate incidents in Basilan, Mindanao. The group of soldiers who tortured one of them had previously been accused of torturing a boy. The two victims are presently in detention and being prosecuted over questionable charges.  CASE DETAILS: (based […]

SRI LANKA: Yet another man is extrajudicially killed in broad day light by the police

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Sanchiarachchige Thushara of Keselwatte, Pitakotuwa in the Colombo District was extrajudicially killed by police officers in broad daylight on 8 September 2011. While he was talking to two of his friends on the roadside the police officers who arrived the scene opened […]