Torture

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a woman has been killed by her husband and brother-in-law, who claim to have been acting to defend “honour”. The woman was murdered in front of her father and brother. The young woman was first locked in a storeroom for three days, without […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has gathered detailed information on the cell death of an innocent man at the Kalutara North Prison on 5th April 2015. Mr. Goniyamalimage Suraj Priyantha Aponsu (44), resident of No. 75/11, Uswatte, Moratuwa in Colombo District was a married man and labourer by profession. He was illegally […]

Since the April 2012 debut of Torture: Asian and Global Perspectives, “Torture Magazine” has been providing unparalleled reporting and analysis on torture and other human rights issues around the world, as well as academic essays relating to the psychology and history of torture, interviews with some of the world’s top minds in human rights issues, […]

Dear Friends, On 9 March 2015, Jeevandarage Ashan Tharanga, a 17 year old young man of No: 62, Balummahara, Dekatana in the Gampaha District, was illegally arrested and severely beaten by police officers attached to Meegahawatte Police Station. He was detained in the station for 3 days and produced before the Magistrate of Kadawatha on […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information on an extra-judicial killing of an innocent man in Attanagalle in Gampaha District in Sri Lanka on 2nd April 2015. Mr. G A Gayan Pubudu Kumara (32) was illegally arrested, tortured and killed by police officers attached to the Nittambuwa Police Station.  Gayan, is […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the disappearance of Mr. Sajan Avinash, a young man belonging to the Hindu faith. Sajan has gone missing following his arrest by a contingent of Pakistan Rangers, who raided his house in the early hours of March 28 2015. The reasons for his […]

One of the promises of Mr. Maithripala Sirisena, as common candidate at the last presidential election, was the elimination of corruption, i.e. something the last government was steeped in. Elimination of corruption is therefore a major objective of his newly elected government. His catchwords were Yaha palanaya (good governance), which itself implies radical elimination of corruption. Today, […]

Dear Friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has detailed information on the killing of Sameera Dananjaya Pathirana (39) in the cell where he was detained in Ja-Ella Police Station. Sameera was illegally arrested on 17 March 2015. Later, police officers admitted him to the Ja-Ella Government Hospital due to his precarious medical condition. Immediately […]

March 24 marks the fifth annual International Day for the Right to Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed this day in 2010 to honor the memory of victims and recognize the work of countless human rights activists around the world who have devoted […]

Arrest brings humiliation, curtails freedom and cast scars forever. Law-makers know it so also the police. There is a battle between the law-makers and the police and it seems that the police has not learnt its lesson; the lesson implicit and embodied in the Cr.P.C. It has not come out of its colonial image despite […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that human body parts have been found scattered in several parts of Sri Lanka between 14th March and 18th March 2015.  Dematagoda, Nawala, and Diyawanna Oya near Parliamentary Complex are the sites in Colombo where the body parts have been found. Yatiyantota and the […]

Over the last week Burma, or Myanmar, has witnessed the re-emergence of some of the most sinister methods of handling public demonstrations in its modern history. The police and civilian attack mobs have violently broken up demonstrations of workers and students in the former capital, Rangoon (Yangon), and the town of Letpadan to its north. […]

Dear Friends, The Advocacy Forum Alliance in Nepal has informed the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) about the suspicious death of Gyani Raja Thakuri. The family of the deceased suspect direct involvement of the police in the death, as it followed an argument with local police officers. The police have, however, denied involvement and attribute […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has gathered detailed information on the custodial death in custody of an innocent man. This took place at the Dummalasuriya Police Station in Kurunegalle District on 4th March 2015. He was, illegally arrested and questioned immediately after his wife filed a complaint with the police regarding a family […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has detailed information on the murders of two innocent people; one who was illegally arrested, tortured and killed, and the other who was willing to be the witness to the first murder. Liyanarachchilage Samantha (34) of Viharagala, Suriyawewa in the Hambantota District was illegally arrested and severely tortured on […]

The academic activities of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology (FUUAST), where 13,000 students are enrolled, are severely affected by the defunct vice chancellor and suspended registrar who have filed cases against 14 teaching staff. Besides cases, the suspended registrar has issued, on three different occasions, the show cause notices to chairman […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information that no redress has yet been provided for farmers from central Burma that were attacked violently by the police during peaceful protest. Without any warrant or court order, the police used guns on the protesters. Farmers lodged a case against the police but […]

A Statement from Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission TFDP STATEMENT February 11, 2015 Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) calls on the immediate implementation of the Review Resolution issued by the Department of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima and the immediate release of the two Agta […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding continuing threats to torture victim Padam Bahadur Khadka, who was 14 years old at the time of the original incident. On 2 October 2011, Mr. Man Bahadur Khadka, a Lance Corporal in the Nepal Army, allegedly tortured Padam, suspecting Padam of killing a […]

Dear friends, The Terai Human Rights Defenders (THRD) Alliance in Nepal has informed the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) that police have tortured 16-year-old Prakash Gharti Magar and his friends Nishanta Rokka, Bijay Basnet, Bishal Nepali, and Rajendra B.K. The boys were taken into illegal custody, kicked, and beaten and Prakash’s leg was broken. Prakash’s […]