Inhuman & degrading treatment

UPDATE (Philippines): Falsely charged workers released on bail face legal action to be sent back to jail

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is pleased to inform you that 14 of the 20 workers who were held for over two years after having been falsely charged have been temporarily released from jail. They were released after a Regional Trial Court (RTC) granted their petition to post bail; however, after their […]

UPDATE (Bangladesh): A woman tortured by police while pregnant gets help from the courts after three years; police harassment continues

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has issued regular updates on the case of Mrs. Shahin Sultana Santa, a pregnant woman who was brutally tortured and whose unborn child was killed by police after she became caught up in a political demonstration. One witness has been killed, and at least two others have […]

UPDATE (Pakistan): An elderly man rescued by court order from a 34-year captivity has been locked up again, with the knowledge of local police

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the relief of a 75-year-old man who was illegally chained in a room for almost 34 years by relatives, with the knowledge of local police. Though the man was released under the orders of the Supreme Court and declared mentally sound, we […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Another detainee dies in jail; 18 others at risk for lack of medical attention

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform that one of the 19 striking workers, held in detention on fabricated charges, has died after contracting an illness inside the jail. His health was aggravated by poor prison conditions and the lack of adequate medical attention. He is the second detainee to […]

INDONESIA: Investigation needed into the two week detainment and ill-treatment of a Papuan man

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned of the abduction, ill treatment and two-week detention of a Papuan man, during which he was interrogated about a fire that destroyed property owned by former Indonesian president Suharto. The incident is similar to past cases of abduction by army personnel and we are concerned […]

UPDATE (India): Schizophrenic patient still detained in solitary confinement after six years

Dear friends,  On 8 September 2008, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) reported on the case of Roy Varghese, a schizophrenic detainee held at Central Jail, Jaipur, Rajasthan, in urgent need of psychiatric treatment. Roy has been in custody since 1992 and despite repeated attempts by human rights defenders to improve his conditions, the government […]

PAKISTAN: A person has been held in chains since 34 years in a private jail as authorities have ignored his detention

[NOTICE: The AHRC has developed this automatic letter-sending system using the “button” below. We also encourage you to send your appeal letters via fax or post to the Pakistan authorities. Their fax numbers and postal addresses are attached below with this appeal. Thank you.] Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information […]

SRI LANKA: Police allegedly torture a man during interrogation

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that police arrested and took a man to a police station, where they allegedly tortured him during the interrogation.  CASE DETAILS: (Based on the information received from Sathivel Bawani, the victim’s wife)  When Mr. Rengasami Chithrakumar, a driver of three-wheeler failed to come home, his […]

PAKISTAN: Gender-biased judge should be transferred from rape trials

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has discovered that a judge whose unprofessional behaviour in a rape trial last month caused widespread concern, has been assigned the case of another teenage rape victim.  CASE DETAILS:  Court spectators and prosecutors expressed outrage at the behaviour of Additional District and Sessions Judge Nizar Ali Khawaja […]

SRI LANKA: Police arbitrarily detain parents and torture father till son is handed over

Dear Friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the Minuwangoda police arbitrarily arrested some parents on the 17 February and held them as hostages until their son surrendered himself to the police. In the police station, the father was allegedly tortured in the lock up while the mother was prevented from […]

SRI LANKA: Police allegedly torture and ill treat a man

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding an alleged illegal arrest, torture and ill treatment of a man by a Sub Inspector of police attached to Meegahatenna police on March 2, 2009 in Sri Lanka. He was manacled to a door throughout the whole night in a standing position. As […]

SRI LANKA: Police allegedly torture a man; his lawyer receives threats from police

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the Meegahatenna police allegedly tortured a man on March 1, 2009 in Sri Lanka. After the torture, police manacled him for two days without providing water, food and bathroom facilities. They finally forced him to sign a statement with no explanation. His legal […]

SRI LANKA: Police allegedly threatened a complainant to withdraw his case

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the Ahungalla police threatened and pressurized a family who lodged a complaint about a teacher’s assault on their son on January 30, 2009. Police visited the school but did not conduct a proper inquiry. The matter was then referred to the Mediation Board. […]

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): Legal action to be taken against officers responsible for fabricating evidence

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the case of Ms. Victory-hamy, who was illegally taken into custody, forced to sign a document, put her fingerprints in evidence in February 2007 and (See further: UA-140-2007), was finally charged for manufacturing illegal liquor. In January this year, she was freed of […]

INDONESIA: Torture and maltreatment of political prisoners in Papua

Dear Friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that we have received information of detainees being tortured and ill-treated by prison officials in Abepura Prison, Papua province, Indonesia. According to the information received seven persons were tortured from February 1, until February 5, 2009. They were reportedly beaten and put in […]

SRI LANKA: Police assault a boy and arbitrarily detain him

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Vilgamuva police officers have assaulted a school child and arbitrarily detained him in custody. The Officer-in- Charge, a Sergeant and a female police constable are directly responsible for the incident of an assault on a child in custody following arbitrary detention.  CASE DETAILS: (based […]

SRI LANKA: Jailers assault and arbitrarily detain a man who failed to pay a bribe

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Kegalle jailors illegally detained a man. They asked for money to release him even though there was an order of release on bail from the court on 22 October 2008. When he told another jailor about his illegal detention, he was assaulted and […]

PAKISTAN: Eight women and their children taken as hostages by police are at risk of torture and sexual harassment

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) strongly condemns the arbitrary arrest and detention of eight women and their children as hostages by police, in order to secure one man from the same family who was allegedly involved in abduction of a government official on November 24. Police have so far refused to disclose […]

SRI LANKA: Police allegedly fabricate a case involving the assault on two men

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that police assaulted two men at the Kalubowila Junction on November 10. As a result of the assault, one man’s spinal vertebra was damaged rendering him unable to walk or stand up straight. However, the police attempted to fabricate the case by falsely reporting […]

INDONESIA: Nine women labeled as witches are subjected to ill-treatment in West Papua

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the OYO Papua Foundation that nine women have been subjected to ill-treatment after being labeled as ‘Suranggi‘ (witches) by local religious leaders in Seya village, West Papua. They were segregated from their family members and forced to live rough in the jungle where […]