Impunity

Human rights defenders are continually being made targets of abduction in Bangladesh, actions that are symptomatic of a kind of insanity. Yesterday (May 15,2014 ), Mr. Md. Nur Khan (Liton), a prominent human rights defender narrowly escaped being abducted. A group of men in plain clothes attempted to abduct Mr. Nur, who works as Director […]

The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, interpreted the much talked about blasphemy law in a timely and appropriate manner. He made an observation in a sou moto case of the desecration of places of religion belonging to the minorities, that there should be thorough and impartial investigations into complaints of blasphemy so that […]

The citizens of Pakistan watched a video recording of a police encounter on all the television channels where a man who had been pronounced dead started crying and screaming that he was alive. The police ignored his cries for help and dragged him by the hair into a police van. He was taken to a […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Nervazhi – a human rights organization based in Kerala, concerning the custodial death of a young woman aged 23 years. It is reported that the police took the victim in the case, Ms. Hanisha, into illegal custody on 23rd March 2014. The police […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. G Piyal Sanjeewa Perera a  30 year old man and a  father of two children is being beaten up at the Pandura Police Station at this very  moment.  We are writing to urge you to act to intervene to stop the torture […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received further information regarding the high profile and brutal assassination of the well known and respected human rights activist and lawyer, Rashid Rehman Khan. The government of Punjab has totally ignored the murder of a human rights defender and has not initiated any action that might […]

A lawyer and prominent human rights defender, Mr. Rashid Rehman Khan, was gunned downed yesterday by unknown persons at his chambers at 8.45 p.m. He had been receiving death threats from the Muslim fundamentalists since February. In the month of April he was threatened in court during the proceedings before the judge by a lawyer, […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the indiscriminate shootings against civilians in Moanemani, Nabire, Papua by officers of Moanemani Sub-District Police. Three civilians were injured in the incident and their condition remains critical. CASE NARRATIVE: According to the information the Asian Human Rights Commission has received from an activist […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from Women in Governance (WinG-Assam), a network of women human rights defenders in Assam regarding the brutal torture of Mr. Bhaben Gogoi by Mr. Mayurjeet Gogoi, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Cinnamora police station and his team in Jorhat, Assam on 6 April 2014. As a […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is concerned about the case of journalists and responsible persons from a news journal in Burma prosecuted under the Burma Official Secrets Act 1923 over an article about a military-owned factory. They have been accused of leaking state secrets and have been detained during the inquiry period, […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) expresses its grave concern that its deputy director, Mr. Danilo Reyes, had been overtly followed by two unidentified men, one of whom carrying a short firearm, at around 8:30 to 9am on April 30, 2014 along E. Rodriguez Avenue, Quezon City, Metro Manila. Mr. Reyes travelled to Manila to […]

India faces the threat of being won over by religious fundamentalists; so say many experts, commenting in light of the on-going elections. Nothing could be more unfortunate for India, which has stood tall and contained regressive radicals for six decades. This is no mean task, given how many neighbours have fallen prey to homegrown rogues […]

The United States, the United Kingdom and a delegation of the European Union on Friday called upon the Government of Pakistan to resolutely defend media freedom in the country, adding that gags on the media and attacks on journalists were not acceptable. While marking the World Press Freedom Day today, May 3, the European Union […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information concerning the kidnapping and rape of four dalit girls in the north Indian state of Haryana. The crime was committed to force dalits from exercising their legitimate right to equal treatment with dignity, and the local village headman is alleged to be one of […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information that no action has been taken against three soldiers who murdered a civilian and terrorized a young couple because the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is protecting them from prosecution. A military tribunal conducted hearings that absolved the men from responsibility for […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has issued a show cause notice to the Geo Television for the cancellation of its license on the instructions of the Ministry of Defence, initiated by the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), an illegal spy agency of […]

The tension between Pakistan’s military and a large section of the country’s media has escalated following the assassination attempt on Geo TV anchor Hamid Mir. On the complaint of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the Defence Ministry has directed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to take action against Geo TV network for levelling allegations […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that brick kiln owners, with the patronage of the Punjab provincial government, have been holding children, women, and men in illegal detention. Women who have been demanding compliance of the minimum wage and social security have been beaten, their clothes stripped, and their children […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. A.A. Aberathna Bandara was illegally arrested, illegally detained for 39 days and severely tortured by officers attached to the Giriulla Police Station. Aberathna was arrested on 7 February but not produced in court until the 18 March. The police gave the explanation […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that seven persons were arrested and charged with being involved in a fracas that caused the death of one Mr. Renganathen. The confrontation occurred when a group of men tried to intervene in an argument between two men, Moses, a Catholic and Dickson, a […]