Judicial system

The rule of law does not exist in Bangladesh. The way the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) abducted seven men, including a senior lawyer and a member of the mayoral panel of the Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC), on 27 April 2014, and murdered them, allegedly on behalf of a feuding faction of the ruling party, in […]

The provincial assembly of Sindh has took the daring lead on 28th April 2014, that deserves appreciation for becoming Pakistan’s first elected assembly to have passed a bill restraining child marriages under 18 years. The passage of the bill has come on the heels of controversy that was triggered after the council of Islamic Ideology (CII) […]

New Delhi: The National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) strongly condemns the calculated expulsion of three marginalised students from the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) in Hyderabad on Tuesday for their alleged role in breaking the glass door of the university library on March 11 during a protest against the closure of the 24-hour reading room on campus. The […]

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, […]

(Note: this article was first published in the April 20, 2014 issue of the Sunday Examiner) In November 2005, Jose Manegdeg, a staff member of a church-based non-governmental organisation, was killed soon after he finished conducting a para-legal training in San Esteban, Ilocos Sur. Four years later, another 57 people, 32 of whom were journalists, were murdered […]

Today the AHRC releases the 27th Episode of the Human Rights Asia Weekly Roundup. In this week’s programmewe report on the spate of killings, torture, and vandalism that has erupted in western Assam, India, in the last few days. Thirty-two have lost their lives so far. We also interview Pakistani human rights defender BushraKhaliq about slavery in […]

Sri Lankans have just been confronted with the abduction of two policemen, one of whom was assassinated. The other narrowly escaped by struggling and running into the jungle naked. He is now receiving treatment in a hospital. This incident happened at Kurunegala. The immediate reaction of some persons who were interviewed by the press agencies […]

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, […]

Hon. Mohan Peiris Chief Justice Chamber of Chief Justice Complex of the Supreme Court Hulfsdorp Colombo 12. Your Honour, This is to keep Your Honour informed of some events in relation to the Prison of Anuradhapura.Yesterday, being Easter Sunday I was to conduct the Easter Religious Services in the Catholic Chapel situated inside the prison […]

The people of Pakistan watched the brutal attack by the police on a peaceful demonstration for the recovery of disappeared persons in front of Parliament House in Islamabad on April 28. There were more than 250 persons including a good number of women and children who were from the family members of disappeared persons. The […]

It is one year now since Sarabjit Singh, an Indian prisoner, was killed in Lahore prison on April 26, 2013 when he was struck on the head in an attack by two Muslim fundamentalists. He was hit with bricks and his neck and torso cut with sharp weapons from which wounds he subsequently died in […]

(Hong Kong, April29, 2014) Scholars from around the world gathered for a Thai studies conference in Sydney have called for the release of SomyotPrueksakasemsuk and other persons imprisoned under Thailand’s antiquated lese majesty laws. In an open letter issued last Thursday, 35 academics from Thailand, Australia and other countries attending the 14th International Thai Studies […]

Cyclic drought and rise in temperature due to climate change has again brought havoc to the people of Tharparkar. The worst affected being women and children. Shahid Hussain Tharparkar is one of the 23 districts of Sindh province and is spread over 77000 square kilometres. It is the continuation of ancient Indian Desert – the […]

Cross Cultural Foundation For immediate release on April 20th, 2014 Public Statement Demanding Immediate Explanation and Investigation by Relevant Officials Regarding the Disappearance of a Karen Hill-Tribe Human Rights Defender ​According to a news report, Mr. Billy or Por Cha Lee Rakcharoen has disappeared since the afternoon of April 17th 2014. At the time of […]

Adilur Rahman Khan, Human Rights Defender of Bangladesh; AHRC File Photo Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan, a renowned human rights defender, who has been relentlessly persecuted by the incumbent regime in Bangladesh, has been recognized for his courage by the global human rights community. Adilur has been awarded the 2014 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, which he […]

23rd April 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Complaint filed by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and its Executive Director (Complaint No: HRC/3083/13) before the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) against the Independent Television Network of Sri Lanka (ITN) and its Chairmen will be taken up for hearing tomorrow (Thursday, 24th April 2014) […]

• Labeling of lawyers by military continues • Practice of labeling root cause of extrajudicial killings • Pattern of ongoing threats against legal profession Philippines, 23 April 2014 – Lawyers for Lawyers (L4L) and Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC) warn in an open letter to President Aquino of the Philippines for the continued labeling of lawyers […]

The ‘Standing Committee on Rule of Law of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka’ condemns the behavior of the members of the ‘Bodu Bala Sena’ who stormed Nipon Hotel where a group of Buddhist monks headed by Rev Watareka Vijitha Thero and other representatives of Civil Society organizations were holding a press conference to explain […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) appreciates the Supreme Court of India’s initiative to institute a panel that will suggest measures to prevent road accidents and to ensure road safety in the country. The court has set up the panel after hearing a public interest litigation, filed by Dr. S. Rajaseekaran, (295/2012) which requested judicial […]

(Hong Kong, April 23, 2014) Yesterday, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and his delegation arrived in Hong Kong reportedly to offer an apology on behalf of the City of Manila to the victims and families of the 2010 Manila bus hostage incident. In August 2010, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) had also expressed its concerns and […]