Judicial system

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission ASIA: Watershed legislation criminalising torture & custodial violence enacted in Bangladesh The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) congratulates the people of Bangladesh for the enactment of the Torture and Custodial Death (Prohibition) Act, 2013. The Jatiyo Shangsad (National Parliament) enacted the draft law, the Torture and Custodial Death (Prohibition) Bill, […]

He is Jejhon Macalinsal. To those who know him he was a young activist, those that did not would fear him. In April 2002, he and two others were arrested, tortured and detained after the police illegally raided their home and planted explosives for which they were charged with possession. They were linked to a […]

Every year on October 24, people from all around the world, celebrates World Polio Day. The world certainly deserves celebrations as the deadly disease has been decreased significantly and it is estimated that barring three countries, Polio has globally been eradicated. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2012, only three countries, Afghanistan, Nigeria […]

It should not have taken a Supreme Court order for the Indian government to know that it cannot turn its citizenry into guinea pigs for private companies. This is one of the very basic duties, the raison d’être in fact, of a government bound to protect the lives and dignity of its citizens. Sadly, the […]

UNTUK DITERBITKAN SEGERA (Hong Kong/Wuppertal, Kamis, 24 Oktober 2013) Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) dan Human Rights and Peace for Papua (ICP) meluncurkan sebuah laporan mengenai pelanggaran hak asasi manusia (HAM) yang terjadi di Pegunungan Tengah Papua, Indonesia, selama tahun 1977–1978. Laporan ini membahas pelanggaran-pelanggaran atas Konvensi Pencegahan dan Penghukuman Kejahatan Genosida yang dilakukan pemerintah […]

Indonesian (Hong Kong/Wuppertal, Thursday, 24 October 2013) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and Human Rights and Peace for Papua (ICP) are launching a report on the human rights abuses that took place in the central highlands of Papua, Indonesia during the course of 1977-1978. The report discusses violations under the Convention on the Prevention […]

An outcome statement from the Manipur Convention on “Protection of Human Rights Defenders of Manipur” forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Resolution Adopted at the Manipur Convention on “Protection of Human Rights Defenders of Manipur” Manipur Press Club, Imphal, Manipur, 19 October 2013 The participants of the Manipur State Convention on “Protection of Human […]

While inside a bookstore in a city in southern Mindanao, I saw a booklet containing the biographies of modern Filipino heroes. Their names are not new to Filipinos. In fact, their photographs and their work are displayed in museum exhibits, the streets and public owned buildings even bear their names. Photo: Loreto Cambo (left) and […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to announce the launch of its weekly video news bulletin, the Asian Human Rights Commission – Weekly Roundup. The second episode, released today, 21 October 2013, covers a wide range of human rights issues, including custodial rape in Pakistan, how Pakistan’s anti-terror laws negate fair trial guarantees; India’s appalling […]

Lahore, October 14: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has voiced concern at the absence of clarity and direction in dealing with the many pressing crises confronting the state. In a statement issued at the conclusion of its autumn meeting on Sunday, the HRCP executive body said: “The Executive Council of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan […]

The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA), the largest bar association of the country, in a general body meeting has passed a resolution against the conduct of three judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan including the Chief Justice, Iftekhar Muhammad Chaudhry. The resolution has demanded that a reference be filed against them before the […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to announce the launch of its weekly video news bulletin, the Asian Human Rights Commission – Weekly Roundup. The first episode, released on 14 October 2013, covers a wide range of human rights issues, including corruption, judicial independence and military torture in Asian states. The bulletin can be watched online […]

(Hong Kong, October 17) Following are excerpts from the press release of the Ahmadyya Jamat Report on the Persecution of Ahmadis in Pakistan, September 2013. The full report may be seen here. In the month of September persecution against Ahmadis continued in Pakistan. In Orangi Town on September 18, Mr. Ijaz Ahmad Kiyani was shot dead […]

The case of Ganeshan Nimalaruban, a Tamil prisoner whose death in prison evoked local and international expressions of concern last year was taken up on October 14 before the Supreme Court and the de facto Chief Justice, Mohan Peiris, refused to grant leave to proceed in the fundamental rights case. The de facto CJ refused […]

The situation in Miryang is deeply alarming and appears to be deteriorating. The police are carrying out arbitrary arrests and detention, threat and harassment towards villagers and human rights defenders including violence and indiscriminate photo-taking and videotaping without warrants with concealment of the police identity. These actions have been taking place since the Korea Electronic […]

The following review was originally printed in the latest issue of the Torture: Asian and Global Perspectives. by Eran Wickramaratne Basil Fernando’s well researched book documents state perpetrated torture reaching back to 1998 and tells a harrowing narrative of the willingness of state machinery to resort to the most egregious violations of personal security and dignity […]

In this age where women and girl children do not receive the protection promised to them by the constitutions of so many countries the challenge for the human rights community in this century is to uplift their rights and lives. The struggle must include equality for women and justice for the violence perpetrated against them. […]

The CHOGM meeting is scheduled to begin on November 15. The government of Sri Lanka has banned protests in the city of Colombo in the month of November. The government has taken this action under the Public Security Regulations and directed that protests, marches and any display of banners and black flags is banned during […]

The following interview was originally printed in the latest issue of the Torture: Asian and Global Perspectives. An exclusive conversation with Dr. Nora Sveaass Born in Oslo, Norway, in December 1949, Dr. Nora Sveaass is a clinical psychologist who has been engaged in various parts of the world in relation to human rights and rehabilitation after […]

The following interview originally appeared in the latest issue of the Torture: Asian and Global Perspectives. Norman Finkelstein is an American scholar, political activist, and author. He is an expert on the Israel-Palestine Conflict, the politics of the Holocaust, and the life and beliefs of Mahatma Gandhi. He earned his Ph.D in Political Science from Princeton University […]