Enforced disappearances and abductions

BANGLADESH: Midnight interrogations

The abduction, detention, cruel and inhuman treatment and interrogation of human rights defender William Gomes  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has previously reported on the brutal attack of FMA Razzak and the abduction and cruel and inhuman treatment of Dipal Barua. Both of them are human rights defender. Today we are reporting the abduction, […]

SRI LANKA: Interview with the wife of Prageeth Ekneligoda, who disappeared 500 days ago

Reporters Without Borders / Reporters sans frontières 06-08-2011 (Audio interview available on the website (Sinhala / English) Eng : http://en.rsf.org/sri-lanka-interview-with-wife-of-cartoonist-08-06-2011,40424.html Fr : http://fr.rsf.org/sri-lanka-interview-de-l-epouse-du-08-06-2011,40422.html Five hundred days have gone by since Prageeth Ekneligoda, a journalist and cartoonist who worked for the Lankaenews website, went missing in Colombo on 24 January 2010. In all this time, no progress has […]

SRI LANKA: Five hundred days since the forced disappearance of Prageeth Eknaligoda

Five hundred days after the disappearance of journalist and cartoonist, Prageeth Eknaligoda, the family and friends of Prageeth as well as media organizations and human rights organizations took to the streets to demand for inquiries into his disappearance. A serious transformation has taken place in the criminal justice system of Sri Lanka. Under the present […]

THAILAND: Call for observers in the case of torture and murder of Mr. Kiettisak Thitboonkrong; strengthening Witness Protection is needed

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the case of Kiettisak Thitboonkrong that on 7 June 2011 at 9 am at the Criminal Court in Bangkok, the witness hearings of the defendant will continue in the case of Mr. Kiettisak Thitboonkrong, who was one of the 28 victims of […]

PAKISTAN: What is the score in Balochistan?

Baseer Naweed After the killing of Professor Saba Dashtyari, a renowned scholar of Balochistan, a question commonly asked by the people is: What is the latest score in Balochistan? The killings, whether extrajudicial or through target killings, have become so common that not one day passes when one or two bullet riddled bodies are not […]

THAILAND: FCCT calls for press and discussion on “UNJUST”, documentary film regarding 3 women Human Rights Defender in Asia

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following press release from Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong UNJUST A Documentary Film by Josefina Bergsten, followed by Q & A 8pm Tuesday June 7, 2011 At Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand Non-members 300 Baht, […]

PAKISTAN: President of newspapers’ society confirms that Saleem Shahzad was receiving threats from ISI

Mr. Hameed Haroon, the chief executive officer of the Dawn, a leading daily newspaper of Pakistan and the president of the All Pakistan Newspaper Society, an organization of owners of the print media, has confirmed that the slain journalist, Mr. Saleem Shahzad, had received threatening messages from Pakistan’s notorious intelligence agency, the ISI on at […]

PAKISTAN: A senior journalist is missing after exposing the Al-Qaida network in the navy

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a senior journalist of Asia Times, a Hong Kong-based news agency, was abducted by unidenfied persons from Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan. Mr. Saleem Shahzad was going to a private television channel to give an interview on his revelation about the militants […]

PAKISTAN: Six more disappeared persons extra judicially killed in Balochistan

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the bodies of six disappeared persons have been found in different areas of Balochistan. The bodies had bullet wounds and marks of torture. All the victims were abducted from different areas of Balochistan province. Eye witnesses stated that they were abducted by persons […]

BANGLADESH: A human rights defender returns home, tells story of terrifying abduction and interrogation

The Asian Human Rights Commission this morning issued two urgent statements of extreme concern for the situation of human rights defenders in Bangladesh, and in particular over the disappearance of a young human rights activist, Dipal Barua, yesterday, May 24. Dipal has been working for the last few weeks on the efforts for the life […]

NEPAL: Mass withdrawal of cases violates Nepal’s international human rights obligations and promotes impunity

Statement | Nepal | 24-05-2011

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned by the Home Minister’s statement on Friday that his office is planning to withdraw cases filed against Maoist cadres from the time of the conflict. According to news report, the cases filed at the district level likely to be withdrawn may amount to 300 and may […]

BANGLADESH: Young human rights activist Dipal Barua from Dhaka is missing since yesterday

The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information from the family of Mr. Dipal Barua, a human rights activist that he has been missing since yesterday morning, May 24, 2011. He was last seen near his house at around 10:30 in the morning. His family has looked around all the places where he normally visits […]

PAKISTAN: Another Azad Kashmiri becomes the victim of ISI butchery

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following press release from Kashmir National Party, Azad Kashmir Chapter. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- A Press Release from Kashmir National Party, Azad Kashmir chapter forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) PAKISTAN: Another Azad Kashmiri becomes the […]

THAILAND: Thailand must learn the lessons of history

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following statement from Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD). Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- A Statement from Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission THAILAND: Thailand must learn the lessons of history Statement on the 19th Anniversary of […]

PAKISTAN: Young Hindu was abducted from police station by a religious mob and his whereabouts are unknown. Police refuse to investigate

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a young Hindu scheduled cast man was abducted by a mob of hundreds of persons from a police station. The police stopped further investigation because of the involvement of a powerful religious group. Since his abduction on May 12, his whereabouts are unknown. […]

PAKISTAN: Five more disappeared persons bullet riddled bodies are found in Balochistan

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the bodies of five disappeared persons have been found in different areas of Balochistan. The bodies bore bullet wounds, drill marks and other signs of torture. The victims were abducted from Balochistan province and Karachi, Sindh province at different times and their bodies […]

PHILIPPINES: Ombudsman abdicates its power to review

Dear friends,  Further to our appeal, the Ombudsman also ceased its intervention into the disappearance and torture of a farmer, Ambrosio Derejeno. He was last seen alive in the custody of a paramilitary unit. In our letter of appeal to the Ombudsman, the AHRC expressed concern to the exclusion of two military colonels who are […]

WORLD: An appeal for assistance for FMA Razzak

WORLD: An appeal for assistance for FMA Razzak (Hong Kong, May 6, 2011) The Asian Human Rights Commission has launched an appeal for financial support for medical, legal and security expenses for human rights defender, Mr. FMA Razzak of Bangladesh. We reproduce below this appeal which was issued yesterday. Payment may be made online; please […]

BANGLADESH: Men and women take to streets demanding the arrest of eye-gouger Major Mustafizur and his aides

(Hong Kong, May 4, 2011) Hundreds of men, women and children at Paikgachha have taken to streets demanding arrest of eye-gouger Mustafizur Rahman Bokul, a major in the Bangladesh army, and his aides for gouging eyes of human rights defender FMA Razzak and his brother Bodiuzzaman Bodiar. They spontaneously participated in a procession in protest […]

BANGLADESH: AHRC welcomes Health Minister’s visit to human rights defender FMA Razzak at hospital

(Hong Kong, May 4, 2011) The Asian Human Rights Commission welcomes the visit of the Minister for Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh, Prof. AFM Ruhul Haque MP, to human rights defender Mr. FMA Razzak. Razzak has been receiving treatment for his gouged eyes and broken hand and leg that was caused as a result […]