Right to fair trial

ASIA: Weekly Roundup, Episode 83

This Week’s Roundup begins in Indonesia, where, despite a murderous attack by the police and military against indigenous Papuans in Paniai Regency, the National Commission on Human Rights has yet to conduct an investigation, as it claims have insufficient funds. Since then, the Independent Student Forum has managed to collect IDR 608,000 so that Commission […]

INDIA: Retributive Justice is injustice, your lordships

Yakub Memon is dead and buried. He was legally murdered on Thursday, 30 July 2015. This was after the Supreme Court dismissed the final petition put forward by a group of eminent lawyers pleading postponement of the sentence in a dramatic hearing that took place in the early hours of Thursday, just 2 hours before […]

INDONESIA: Bau-Bau District Court convicts officer with light punishment

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the death of Aslin Zalim in police custody in Bau-Bau Regency, South East Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. The Bau Bau District Court has convicted Police Adjunct Senior Commissioner (AKBP) Joko Krisdianto, former Chief of Bau Bau Police Resort (Polres Bau Bau), to six […]

PAKISTAN: Masood Janjua completes 10 years of his enforced disappearance

There is a general sense of impunity for the law enforcement agencies, particularly the intelligence and military, the most powerful institution on Pakistan. The victims of the illegal, violent, and cruel actions of law enforcement personnel, and their families, complain that even when clearly identified by witnesses, no investigation is conducted against the perpetrators, let […]

NEPAL: Police going berserk in Nepal’s Terai

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the Nepal police has fired 4 rounds of bullets and several rounds of tear gas canons, in addition to a baton charge, on people watching documentaries of Dr. Raut in Baluwa Bazaar of Mahottari District on Tuesday evening at around 8 p.m. Around 25 people […]

SRI LANKA: UPFA wants country to return to lawlessness

Yesterday, the CID filed a report at the Magistrates Court of Colombo, seeking to re-open criminal proceedings regarding the alleged murder of the rugby player Wasim Thajudeen. Wasim, who was a well known rugby player and voted as the most popular ruggerite for the year 2009 by Caltex Observer Touchdown Rugby quiz, was found dead […]

WORLD: Gross Adulteration of the US TIP Report

A Statement from TENAGANITA Women’s Force forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission The U.S Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report has, for the past few years, been seen by many organizations tackling modern-day slavery as a tool for governments to undertake structural changes that would end the trafficking and enslavement of persons in their […]

PAKISTAN: Press freedom in the line of fire

Freedom of the press is the cornerstone of every democracy. However, in states where democracy is little more than fascism in the façade of democracy, press freedom is the first casualty. This is the case in Pakistan, where journalists are suffering from an epidemic of violence. The latest attack has been on Geo News Bureau […]

INDIA: Minor girls forced into sex trade after being trafficked in Assam

Dear Friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information about two girls having been forced into the sex trade after being trafficked by a relative. Government officials in a government office and in a private residence repeatedly raped the two girls for two days. The incident came to light after the incident was […]

INDONESIA: Police attack and shoot at 10 Papuan youth, killing one and injuring others

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the shooting and brutal attack on 10 indigenous Papuan youth conducted by police officers of Tigi Police Sector (Polsek Tigi), Deiyai Regency, Papua Province. The attack resulted in the death of Yoteni Agapa (19), while Melianus Mote (21) was seriously injured. Furthermore, eight […]

INDONESIA: The police and military attack and kill 5 teenagers, injure 17 others, in Papua

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding allegations of gross violation of human rights, which has resulted in five students being killed and 17 others getting injured in Paniai Regency, Papua Province, Indonesia. Up until now, the law enforcement agency and the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) have […]

ASIA: Mob justice—a symptom of degenerating rule of law

Article | Asia | 20-07-2015

Javeria Younes The mob justice meted out to 13-year-old Samiul Alam Rajon, who was beaten to death in Bangladesh by an angry mob resolute on teaching the youngster a lesson for stealing a bicycle, is a classic case of mob madness witnessed on our streets every day. Throughout Asia, deteriorating rule of law and ineffective […]

ASIA: Weekly Roundup, Episode 81

An Announcement by the Asian Human Rights Commission This week’s Roundup begins in the Indian state of Kerala. The state government has initiated a process of police reforms. This unique initiative involves enabling the police to undertake scientific crime investigation. AHRC TV interviews AHRC Executive Director Bijo Francis to learn more about the outlook for […]

INDONESIA: Police officers illegally arrest, torture and shoot motorcycle theft suspects

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the arbitrary arrest and torture of 19 people allegedly involved in motorcycle robberies. The brutal behaviour of the Serpong police officers resulted in the custodial death of five suspects. According to the police however, their deaths were the result of self defense by […]

INDONESIA: Environmental activist attacked and stabbed to death by Indonesian navy personnel

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the brutal murder of Mr. Jopi Teguh Lasmana Peranginangin (39), an environmental activist who used to work with the Indigenous People’s Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN). He was kicked, beaten, and stabbed to death by Indonesian navy personnel on 23 May 2015 at […]

INDONESIA: Senior Corruption Eradication Commission investigator arrested, charged

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding a criminal charge being brought by the Indonesian police against Mr. Novel Baswedan, an investigator of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). The police have been trying to arrest Novel since 2012, when KPK named then Chief of the National Police Traffic Police Corps (Korlantas), Inspector General Djoko Susilo, as a suspect […]

PAKISTAN: HRCP, ICJ demand clarification on juveniles’ trial by military courts

A Press Release from Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Lahore, May 21: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) have expressed deep concern that following the 21stamendment, juveniles suspected of committing offences related to terrorism could end up being […]

INDIA: Wife gang-raped by husband’s friends in Kerala; police stonewall victim

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information from Nervazhi, a human rights organisation based in Thrissur District of the Indian state of Kerala concerning the case of Mary (name changed) who was gang-raped by her husband’s friends. Mary struggled to lodge a complaint against the perpetrators with the local police. The police […]

PAKISTAN: HRCP slams massacre in Karachi bus attack

A Press Release from Human Rights Commission of Pakistan forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Lahore, May 13: The barbaric killing of members of the Ismaili community in a bus attack in Karachi is highly condemnable, but it deserves more than mere words of censure and sympathy from the authorities, the political parties […]

PAKISTAN: Killing of 46 Ismailis utterly condemnable

Today, persons hailing from the Ismaili community (a branch of Shia Islam) have been attacked while they were travelling on a passenger bus managed and operated by the community. According to media reports, six unidentified assailants on motorbikes opened fire on the bus from all sides, leaving at least 46 dead and 24 injured. Many […]