Administration of justice

These are crucial days for the selection and submission of party candidates for the forthcoming Parliamentary Elections to be held on 17th August 2015. This is a moment at which the nation has the right to expect from leaders of all the political parties the exercise of utmost responsibility in making these selections. A simple criteria […]

A Statement from the International Solidarity for Thai Students and Teachers forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Fourteen Thai students were arrested on 26 June 2015 and are currently being detained in Bangkok after a series of peaceful protests against the military dictatorship of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). They have […]

In this week’s Roundup, AHRC TV begins in Sri Lanka where a Sub-Inspector and his assistant have been convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Gerald Perera in 2004. The verdict finally came after 10 years of indictment. Another case of torture conducted by the same Sub-Inspector and several police officers of Wattala […]

In the past few months, the Nepal Police has made its presence conspicuous in the vicinity of the residence of Dr. CK Raut in Rajbiraj, Saptari District. The number of personnel ranges from 2 to well over a dozen, rising when they think Dr. Raut has reason to leave his home. They have placed Dr. […]

In a rare case of successful intervention by the Pakistan police, a Christian couple has been saved from being lynched by an angry mob in a Makki Village, Sheikhapura District, in Punjab, Pakistan. Unlike previous cases, where charged up mobs have burnt and beaten to death innocent Christians, accusing them of blasphemy, the timely intervention […]

The International Day in Support of Victims of Torture was marked on 26 June 2015, with events planned in Karachi, Lahore, Haripur, and in many other districts of Pakistan. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), with the support of local and international rights-based organizations, has been striving to create awareness and mobilize the masses against […]

by Govinda Sharma “Bandi” The Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly has finally submitted the draft constitution to the Constituent Assembly (CA). The four major political parties, who carried out the 16-point agreement, have also agreed to adopt a fast-track constitution-drafting process to promulgate the new constitution within a month or so. The fast-track process […]

Pakistan has long been fighting a battle of identity. The objective resolution inserted into the Constitution made Pakistan an Islamic Republic, leaving religious minorities lesser citizens. At the time of its formation, its founding fathers had envisaged a free State where each minority group would have the right to profess their faith without fear of […]

An article from the Kathmandu Post, written by Dipendra Jha forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission by Dipendra Jha Torture has evolved into a chronic problem in Nepal, particularly after the end of the decade-long Maoist conflict. In October 2012, the Committee against Torture concluded that torture is systematically practiced in Nepal. Data by […]

Owing to a mountainous topography, many parts of Nepal are inaccessible during monsoon season; travelling to those more accessible can also be perilous at this time due to landslides. The problems that monsoons bring are more severe this year in aftermath of the devastating earthquake on April 25, and its destructive aftershock on May 12, […]

by JaveriaYounes “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever.” Perhaps the author of these words, George Orwell, could not have expected his prophesy would materialize quite as it has today. Torture has become a hard-hitting reality of our time; it is no longer an issue of […]

Burma got a new government in 2010, after decades of military dictatorship. The change, by general election and under a new constitution, converted Burma from a military to a semi-military government. Some things changed, but most have remained the same.  Torture is still part and parcel of the way the military and law enforcement agencies […]

This week’s special Roundup coincides with International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The programme tunes in to AHRC partners from around the Asian region as they deliver their message to the world on this special day. Viewers can also watch AHRC TV’s special short video produced for DIGNITY Day, which is being celebrated in Copenhagen today. The […]

Pakistan ratified the United Nations Convention Against torture in 2010, but to date no concrete steps have been taken to enact a law. A draft Anti Torture Bill that purports to curb torture is a mere eyewash to dodge pressure from the international community. In Pakistan, the justice system is riddled with gaping problems related […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has over the past 15 years documented close to 3,000 cases of torture from Asia. Most of these cases are reported through AHRC’s Urgent Appeals Programme by partner organisations working in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, China, Philippines, and Thailand. Having documented and closely followed […]

Throughout the world, June 26 is marked as international day in support of torture victims. In Pakistan, the Asian Human Right Commission has played an active role in mobilizing civil society with support from many partner organisations. Several activities have been planned to commemorate the day and raise awareness amongst the masses about the implications […]

The government of Nepal ratified the Convention Against Torture (CAT) in 1991, and passed the Torture Compensation Act (TCA) in 1996. The TCA, however, does not criminalize torture and focuses on compensation if police officers are found guilty of practicing torture. The TCA treats torture merely as a civil offence, which thereby encourages officers to […]

It has been 17 years since Indonesia ratified the Convention against Tortureand Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment, and promulgated Law No. 5 of 1998. However, the Convention has yet to be enforced in the domestic legal system. Indonesia still doesn’t have a national law that criminalizes torture and allows for prosecution of acts of torture […]

That torture is endemic to Bangladesh is not news to the human rights community, or to the millions of citizens who directly and indirectly suffer at the hands of law enforcement personnel. The enactment of the “Torture and Custodial Death (Prohibition) Act, 2013”, i.e. Act No. 50 of 2013, is acknowledgement of the widespread practice […]

June 26 is observed as the international day in support of victims of torture. Torture is a crime under international law, just as is slavery and genocide. When committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack, torture also qualifies as a crime against humanity. Torture […]