Human rights defenders

By Basil Fernando A lawyer practicing in Negombo was abducted on the night of 12 July 2017 and taken to a deserted field. There six persons, two of whom were wearing camouflaged uniforms, beat him thoroughly on his back and his head, threatening him that, “you should not be messing with us,” and “you should […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the disappearance of a youth by the police and persons from intelligence agencies. His two older brothers were already extrajudicially killed earlier. Eighteen year old Sajjad went to Karachi city from his village to meet his assassinated brother’s family, and was abducted […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Theo Hesegem, a coordinator of Advocacy Network for Law Enforcement and Human Rights (JAPH-HAM) in Wamena, Papua, was intimidated and insulted by military officers of Jayawijaya regent, due to his advocacy efforts in the torture case of Mr. Niko Hisage. While there […]

There have been repeated outbreaks of cross-Line of Control firing in Jammu Kashmir, with both sides reporting deaths and injuries including of civilians. Heavy weapons are killing innocent civilians, destroying homes, public and private property. The civilians are forced to flee on both sides of the LOC. Kashmiris of both the sides are leading a […]

Justice M. Ilancheliyan is one of the greatest judges to be produced in Sri Lanka for the last many decades. He is still a High Court Judge, but he deserves to be raised to the Supreme Court. If that were to happen, he would be a great asset not only to the Supreme Court, but […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) strongly condemns the recent spate of attacks on the Hazara community in Balochistan province. In the most recent incident, four family members belonging to the ethnic Hazara Shia community and their driver were shot dead on July 19, when unidentified gunmen opened fire on their vehicle near Balochistan’s Mastung […]

This week Just Asia begins with India, where the Supreme Court passed a historic judgment last Friday, ordering the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe into the allegations of ‘fake encounters’ by uniformed personnel in the conflict ridden state of Manipur. To ensure an impartial investigation, the Court ordered that no member of the Manipur […]

A Statement from ODHIKAR on the detention of Detention of Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan at KLIA, Malaysia forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission At approximately 11:00 pm (Bangladesh time), on 19 July 2017, Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan Advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh and Secretary of Odhikar, boarded a Malaysian Airlines flight, MH […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that the Airport Immigration in Kuala Lumpur Airport has detained human rights defender Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan since 5:00 am today. Adilur is the Secretary of Bangladesh based human rights organisation Odhikar, and has received international awards for his work, like Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award, International […]

This week Just Asia begins with Pakistan, where Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been found guilty of corruption by the Supreme Court’s Joint Investigation Team. The team found the Sharif family wealth to be beyond their sources of income. The country’s political parties and Bar Associations are now demanding Sharif’s resignation. Moving to Burma, the […]

“Fr. Nandana Manatunga tortured the victim…” claims President’s Counsel, Mr. Nalin Ladduwahetty in his defence of a police constable in a torture case. The case of torture of Mr. Daundalage Pushpakumara came up today at the Court of Appeal in Sri Lanka. The court was considering a petition filed by Pushpakumara, seeking leave to appeal in […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a Hong Kong based Nepali investigative journalist and NepalKhabar Hong Kong Editor, Mr. JB Pun Magar, has been attacked and threatened for writing on issues relating to the Nepalese community residing in Hong Kong. Mr. Komal Gurung (Thapa), a Hong Kong based businessperson has been targeting JB […]

This week Just Asia begins with Pakistan, where police brutality and violence continues. Three videos show how law enforcement officials regularly transcend their authority and abuse ordinary citizens, with a complete lack of accountability. In the most recently surfaced video, a group of police officers are baton charging unarmed women mill workers in Muzaffargarh, Punjab. […]

A Fact-finding report by MASUM forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) conducted a high level fact finding in Darjeeling and adjoining areas to assess the situation at Darjeeling hills after the agitation for separate statehood and the subsequent police atrocities upon the agitators. This report is only a primary […]

Law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh have announced on 3 July 2017, that at 11:30 pm they have ‘rescued’ Mr. Farhad Mazhar from a Dhaka bound passenger bus at Noapara in the south-western district Jessore, bordering India. The police later interrogated him during which he was allegedly ill-treated. Farhad was in police custody till 3:00 pm […]

A video has recently surfaced in Pakistan, where a contingent of police officers can be seen baton charging a group of unarmed women mill workers protesting in Muzaffargarh, Punjab. The scuffle occurred inside the district court of Muzaffargarh in broad daylight, yet the judicial officer never took any action against the erring police officers, nor […]

For the past several years, the Asian Human Rights Commission has been reporting on the widespread practice of abuse of power by the Nepal Police. The extent of abuse of power and politicization within the police today is such that even senior police officers are targeted. On 24 April 2017, a team of police officers […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from noted writer and poet, Farhad Mazhar has disappeared and been reported missing from Dhaka in Bangladesh since the early hours of 3rd July 2017. CASE NARRATIVE: The Asian Human Rights Commission(AHRC) has received updated information regarding the disappearance of Mr. Farhad Mazhar, […]

Referring to the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Mr. Tomin J. Thachankary, the former State Police Chief, Mr. Senkumar, has said that this officer is a butcher stationed at the state police headquarters. Allegations against Thachankary, one of the senior most officers in service in the state, is nothing new. The only difference this […]

The weekly Times column, Focus on Rights, titled ‘Dangers of Unseemly Ministerial Outbursts to Free Speech’ by Kishali Pinto Jayawardena, in the Sunday Times, Sri Lanka, on 02 July 2017, forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Kishali Pinto Jayawardena However much they may genuflect to the concept of free speech, Sri Lanka’s politicians are quite unable […]