Judicial system

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that Merceditas Gutierrez, head of the Office of the Ombudsman, has pledged to resolve the complaint of torture of the Abadilla Five that has been pending in their office since January 2003 “in a week”.  UPDATED INFORMATION:  On January 3, 2011, the family members […]

เรียนทุกท่าน เราขอส่งต่อจดหมายเปิดผนึกของ นางอังคณา  นีละไพจิตร ภริยาของนายสมชาย  นีละไพจิตร ทนายความมุสลิมที่ถูกบังคับให้สูญหาย เกี่ยวกับการสอบสวนคดีนายสมชาย การคุ้มครองพยาน และการบังคับบุคคลให้สูญหาย ที่มีถึงนายกรัฐมนตรี มายังท่าน คณะกรรมาธิการสิทธิมนุษยชนแห่งเอเชีย ฮ่องกง ————- เพื่อการเผยแพร่ทันที AHRC-FOL-001-2010-TH 23 ธันวาคม 2552 จดหมายเปิดผนึกของ นางอังคณา  นีละไพจิตร ที่มีถึงนายกรัฐมนตรีประเทศไทย ส่งต่อโดย คณะกรรมาธิการสิทธิมนุษยชนแห่งเอเชีย ประเทศไทย: ต้องการการเร่งรัดการสอบสวนกรณีการหายตัวไปของนายสมชาย การคุ้มครองพยานอย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ และการออกกฎหมายให้การบังคับบุคคลให้สูญหายเป็นอาชญากรรม 23 ธันวาคม 2552 กราบเรียน  ฯพณฯ นายกรัฐมนตรี สำเนาถึง    ท่านรัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงยุติธรรม ท่านอธิบดีกรมสอบสวนคดีพิเศษ นับแต่ท่านเข้ารับตำแหน่งนายกรัฐมนตรี พร้อมทั้งได้แถลงต่อสาธารณะ ถึงแนวคิดจะตั้งคณะทำงานพิเศษเพื่อรื้อฟื้นคดีสำคัญที่สังคมให้ความสนใจ เนื่องจากในรัฐบาลที่ผ่านมา คดีสำคัญหลายคดีถูกวิพากษ์วิจารณ์ และถูกมองว่า ไม่ได้รับความเป็นธรรม ถูกทำให้ล่าช้า อีกทั้งผู้เสียหายยังถูกขัดขวางในการเข้าถึงความยุติธรรม ซึ่งหนึ่งในคดีต่างๆนั้น คือ คดีการบังคับให้สูญหายนายสมชาย นีละไพจิตร จนปัจจุบัน ที่รัฐบาลภายใต้การนำของท่าน ได้บริหารงานครบ […]

We hope that wishing for a happy new year in Sri Lanka is not just mere wishful thinking. We wish: 1. That Rizana Nafeek, facing a death sentence in Saudi Arabia, will be released as soon as possible. This wish can become true only if the Sri Lankan government makes all the diplomatic efforts to […]

The simmering debate between three senior judges in India, involving the suspect in a criminal case and a former Union Minister from Tamilnadu state, Mr. A. Raja, and his alleged attempt to influence the court to obtain bail for the suspect with the assistance of the former Chairperson of the Tamilnadu and Pondicherry Bar Council, […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) welcomes with reservations President Benigno Aquino III’s order to withdraw the charges against 43 health workers, collectively known as ‘Morong 43′, as reported today. We strongly believe, based on the documents and information that we have also obtained, that they should have not been arrested, detained, and forced to […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission received information that Muslim fundamentalist and extremist groups have advocated publicly that a Christian lady, Aasia Bibi, sentenced to death under the blasphemy laws should not be pardoned. Some have offered a cash reward for Aasia’s assassination. Since the introduction of 295-C to the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned by the transfer of Ma Sandar, an ailing human rights defender convicted on fabricated charges, to another prison without the knowledge of her family. Her family has lost contact with her and do not know where she is presently being held. UPDATED INFORMATION: We […]

The contempt of court proceedings initiated against Advocate Prashant Bushan in the Supreme Court of India for the allegations he made against some of the former Chief Justices of the country will test the maturity of India’s judicial system and that of its democratic framework. Indeed the Court has a statutory right to initiate proceedings […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) deeply regrets to inform you that the Supreme Court (SC) has upheld the guilty verdict on the Abadilla Five. The SC affirmed the earlier decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) which imposed a penalty of life imprisonment on them. The accused will be filing a Motion […]

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following statement from Judge Soliman M. Santos, Jr. of the 9th Municipal Circuit Trial Courts (MCTC) in Nabua-Bato, Camarines Sur. Judge Santos is the former legal counsel of two of the Abadilla Five detainees–Lenido Lumanog and Augusto Santos, before his appointment as trial court judge. The […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission states that words are inadequate to express the magnitude of the folly contained in the suggested amendments to the Constitution of Sri Lanka by the Sri Lankan government. Given the availability of a two thirds majority for the government these amendments will be passed. However, these amendments will take Sri […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) previously issued a statement on the case of Phyo Wai Aung, whom the authorities in Burma have blamed for an attack on a festival in April. In this appeal we bring you the details of his case and the charges that have now been brought against him. […]

A military tribunal made its decision against General Fonseka finding him guilty of the charge of being engaged in politics while in military service. The Tribunal made the decision without respect to due process and the principles of fair trial. The handpicked ‘judges’ were previous subordinates of the general who had been subjected to disciplinary […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission has launched an online petition calling on the Sri Lankan Government to speedily enact a law on contempt of court.  (Hong Kong, July 29, 2010) The absence of a law relating to contempt to court has remained a matter of concern in Sri Lanka. Due to serious anxieties arising from […]

Sixth months after the disappearance of her husband, Prageeth Eknaligoda, Sanya Ekaneligoda and her son held religious ceremonies at the famous Kalli Amma Kovil, a Hindu temple at Modara, Colombo on 24 June. Mrs. Eknaligoda prayed to supernatural forces for help in finding the whereabouts of her husband who disappeared on the 24th January 2010. […]

(Hong Kong, July 23, 2010) The Asian Human Rights Commission announces the presentation of the Asian Human Rights Award for Creative Media to Ms. Josefina Bergsten as the producer and the director of the documentary UNJUST. The Presentation of the award will take place at Foreign Correspondents Club, Hong Kong, on the 27th July, 2010.  […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that a man has been charged with a series of offences that are unrelated to his arrest. He was first arrested for his alleged involvement in a non-lethal explosion in Rangoon during 2009 but has been sentenced to 15 years in jail by two judges for other […]

Rana Maqbool Ahmed is a former Inspector General of Police of Sindh province and has been accused of the torture of and conspiracy to kill President Zadari when he was imprisoned in 1999. Rana has been absconding court and the Additional District Sessions Court, Karachi, capital of Sindh province, has issued a warrant for his […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has obtained detailed information about another case of a monk in Burma who has been imprisoned for alleged anti-government activity. The authorities accused U Gawthita of travelling to Thailand unlawfully and getting support from groups there. A court imprisoned him for seven years without evidence. Gawthita, who […]

The Provincial Court of Narathiwat set the preliminary hearing on the case of Imam Yapha Kaseng at 09.00am on 2 September 2010 To determine if the case of the alleged torture to death of the Imam while under official custody is actionable or not On 18 June 2010, the Provincial Court of Narathiwat scheduled the […]