Torture

Dear Friends,  Regarding our previous urgent appeal on the torture case of Mr. Lalith Rajapakse (Re: UA-18/2002, http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2002/240/), we are forwarding you a copy of a letter written by AHRC to the Minster of Interior of Sri Lanka, Mr. John Amaratunga on the failure to punish law enforcement officers who engage in torture, and other […]

Dear Friends,  Regarding the torture case of Mr. Greesha de Silva (Previous appeal has spelled as Grissa) in Sri Lanka, We are sending you the medical report in this case.  No inquiry has yet started under Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel and Inhuman and Degrading Punishment or Treatment Act, (Act No 22 of 1994), […]

SRI LANKA: Frequent and cruel tortures by the police – Urging actions to prevent torture and implement the law with participation of UN Agencies ——————————————————————– The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to draw your attention to the following torture case. CASE DETAILS – Torture resulting in loss of the use of both hands (likely […]

Dear Friends  Following is an update with some progress on the case of Mr. Lalith Rajapakse, a torture victim in Sri Lanka. We are not requesting any further action at this stage, but we may request this in the near future is there is no positive action for his state of health and the prosecution […]

MAJOR COLOMBO EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS FAILURE TO PREVENT TORTURE A major exhibition on ‘elimination of torture’ opened at the Public Library auditorium in Colombo, Sri Lanka on the 16th of April. The exhibits depict individual cases of torture, paintings on the theme of torture, and posters explaining the reasons for torture and laws against torture, highlighting […]

Urgent medical help needed for torture victim  SRI LANKA – Torture by police, impunity, denial of proper rehabilitation  ——————————————————————–  Latest update available: Court orders Release Of Lalith Rajapakse  A young torture victim from a poor family is fighting for his life in Sri Lanka. We are asking you to write today to the Sri Lankan authorities […]

Dear Friends,  We would like to send you a copy of the 20th open letter sent by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) to the Jesuit superior general in Rome regarding Fr. Pallath’s case.  Readers are encouraged to write to the Jesuit superior general and call for an inquiry into Fr. Pallath’s case.  For further […]

Dear Friends,  We are forwarding you an appeal from the South Asia Forum for Human Rights (SAFHR) based in Nepal regarding the arbitrary detention and torture of Dr. Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir.  According to SAFHR, Dr. Alamgir has been in detention for one month without any formal charge and has been continuously subjected to torture. Please […]

Dear Friends,  We would like to send you a copy of the 19th open letter sent by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) to the Jesuit superior general in Rome regarding Fr. Pallath’s case.  Readers are encouraged to write to the Jesuit superior general and call for an inquiry into Fr. Pallath’s case.  For further […]

Dear Friends  We are pleased to inform you of great success thanks to your efforts in support of the ‘Bandung 19’, wrongfully arrested on June 15 2001, tortured, held incommunicado and subject to unfair trial. You will recall that the young workers, students and activists were protesting the government’s planned increase in oil prices. The […]

Dear friends, The political detention of a Kyrgyz opposition parliamentarian, Mr. Azimbek Beknazarov, 47, has taken a turn for the worse with reports of him being brutally beaten while in prison. Hundreds of Kyrgyz people are continuing their weeks’ long hunger strike over his treatment – at least one has already died in this protest. […]

Dear Friends,  We have written several updates on Angelina Roshana’s case. We are also aware that many persons have written to the Sri Lankan authorities on this matter, however the Attorney General has not yet taken any action. We urge readers to again write to the authorities on Ms. Roshana’s behalf. The most recent letter […]

Further to our Urgent Appeal of 28 January 2002 regarding the arrest and detention of Dr. Salai Tun Than in Rangoon, Burma, for holding a peaceful one-man protest, we have received additional details of the Professor’s arrest and his distinguished biography. 

Dear Friends,  We would like to send you a copy of the 18th open letter sent by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) to the Jesuit superior general in Rome regarding Fr. Pallath¡¦s case.  Readers are encouraged to write to the Jesuit superior general and call for an inquiry into Fr. Pallath¡¦s case.  For further […]

A Joint Statement By JanaSansadaya, Sri Lanka and the Asian Human Rights Commission AHRC Sri Lanka will celebrate the 54th anniversary of its independence from the British Raj on 4th February 2002. It is appropriate that it also be celebrated as Torture Elimination Day, to highlight the problems that need to be eliminated if the […]

This Urgent Appeal is regarding a high level police attack on the National Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka on 22 January, 2002. 

AHRC draws your attention to the casse of Angline Roshana who was arrested and tortured on 3rd December 2000. Despite many interventions, the Attorney General of Sri Lanka has refused to act Under Act No. 22 of 1994, which gives him the power to prosecute offenders for Torture or other forms of Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

Dear Friends We are forwarding you an appeal from the highly respected Task Force Deteinees of the Philippines, regarding the torture of a fisherman in Cebu by the police of that region. Please read the short account of the incident and take the action requested. Urgent Appeals Desk ——————————————————————— URGENT ACTION TITLE : Alfredo Bantecil […]

AHRC welcomes the recent capture by the Indonesian police of Tommy Suharto – fugitive son of Gen. Suharto, accused of crimes ranging from corruption and graft to bombings and the assassination of a judge. However, we have serious doubts about the ability of the criminal justice system to proceed effectively, as the system is fundamentally flawed. Time and time again the influential elite and members of military and police charged with horrendous human rights crimes are not prosecuted or let off with ridiculously light sentences; while the poorer sections calling for decent wages and conditions, land for peasants or self-determination for indigenous peoples are harshly punished for raising their voices. 

There has been another instance of severe torture of a ‘suspect’ at the hands of the Sri Lankan police on the 6th of October. The person who suffered the torture was Mr. Namal Fernando, 37, a fulltime social worker and father of three from Pitipana Duwa, Negombo, 32 km from Colombo. It appears to have been a case of mistaken identity – he has now been released from without charge and has been recovering in hospital. We are asking you to write letters on behalf of the torture victim. Details of the incident are as follows: