Impunity

by Javeria Younes The arguments against jail term in the context of a developing country such as Pakistan holds water if one considers the factor of the State failing to reform inmates. The length of sentence awarded is increasing considerably for offences such as burglary, theft, rape and terrorism, however no significant drop in such […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information about a woman, Ms. Victoria Dayoun Kharkongor, being found dead inside the toilet of the Dispur Police Station in Guwahati on 5 July 2015. The police claim that she was mentally ill and hung herself inside the toilet. According to the preliminary police reports, Ms. […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding a man being tortured to death in a private torture cell while in police custody. To hide their crime, the police declared the victim died of heart failure. The victim remained in private custody of the policemen for seven days. When his family filed […]

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 […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a final student in University, named Toqier Mashori, has been tortured to death in the Central Prison of Hyderabad, Sindh, within three days of his arrest. His family was asked by the police and prison authorities to pay large bribes for Mashori’s relief […]

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 […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the brutal murder of Mr. Jopi Teguh Lasmana Peranginangin (39), an environmental activist who used to work with the Indigenous People’s Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN). He was kicked, beaten, and stabbed to death by Indonesian navy personnel on 23 May 2015 at […]

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, […]

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 […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the harassment and threats received by the frontline human right Defender Ms Noor e Maryam Kanwer. Ms Kanwer is the Chairperson/Director of Pakistan Youth Alliance, an NGO working in fields of counter-extremism, peace-building, conflict resolution and social welfare. Since the past one year she has been […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to inform you that Ganga Maya Adhikari, wife of late Nanda Prasad Adhikari, has filed a Right to Information (RTI) application. Ganga Maya, who has resumed her hunger strike in Bir Hospital, seeking justice for the murder of her son Krishna Prasad Adhikari who was allegedly murdered by […]

Amidst claims and counter claims related to the recent militant attack on the Indian Army, as well as a retaliatory strike against militant groups by the Indian Army, lives have been lost in Manipur. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) condemns the use of force with impunity by state and non-state actors in Manipur that […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is dismayed by the attempt of the government of Nepal to outsource policing functions to a paramilitary organization. Rather than reform the police, something the nation and its people sorely need, the attempt to allow the Armed Police Force (APF) to take over policing functions and issue arrest warrants […]

A Statement by Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights at the Human Rights Council 29th Session forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Mr. President, Excellencies, Colleagues, Seventy years after the founding of the United Nations, what can we conclude about our achievements in the protection and promotion of human […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the abduction of Raja Dahir, the son of a prominent intellectual and the writer, from his home by uniformed Pakistan Ranger personnel and those wearing civilian clothes who identified themselves as State intelligence agents. Following Dahir’s abduction, his whereabouts are unknown. Mr. Raja […]

A Press Release from Karapatan Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Press Statement June 3, 2015 Reference:     Cristina “Tinay” Palabay, Secretary General, 0917-3162831 Angge Santos, Media Liaison, 0918-9790580 On the eve of the submission of the joint statement of the Asian Legal Resource Center (ALRC) and […]

Ganga Maya Adhikari, who staged a 360-day hunger strike last year demanding action against the murderers of her son Krishna Prasad, has given a new 10-day ultimatum to the government to address her demands. Since Friday, 5 June 2015, she has only been taking juice and water, heightening her protest against the continuing injustice. Speaking […]

by Basil Fernando In this article, the “justice system” refers to the police, the prosecution (Attorney General’s Department), and the judicial institutions, as separate entities and as a collective in their interactions with each other. That these institutions suffered a great set back due to the operation of 1972 and 1978 Constitutions is unanimously acknowledged. […]

Dear Friends, The AHRC has received information about deepening cycles of violence in Manipur. A 12-year-old boy, Bishal, has been subjected to torture by the Kuki Revolutionary Front (KRF), a militant group based in Manipur. KRF suspected Bishal to be the member of Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), another Valley-based insurgent group. This act of torture […]