Torture

Dear friends,  Mr. D.K.K.S. Shehan Fernando, a young man of 22, is in danger of losing his life due to the actions of a wealthy businessman in the Ja-Ela area The officers of the Ja-Ela Police Station are refusing to investigate the victim’s allegations while at the same time aiding the perpetrator of the several […]

There is an urgent need to bring military officials under the rule of law after a high police officer was tortured to death and army men attacked a police station in broad daylight and beat the policemen In the recent days it is observed that officials of the Pakistan army and Para-military have been on […]

Dear friends,  According to the information that the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) received around 150 men from Navanthurai, a village in the Jaffna District in Northern Province, were illegally arrested and detained in an operation conducted by the Sri Lanka Army at around 1.15 am on 23 August 2011. The villagers were severely beaten […]

A Joint Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission and the Asian Alliance Against Torture and Ill-Treatment A group of 26 human rights defenders and organisations, today concluded a five-day regional conclave and formed a unique regional initiative – The Asian Alliance Against Torture and Ill-treatment (AAAT). The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the […]

Dear friends,  Palle Gedara Srinath Saliya Jayaratne (17) surrendered himself to the Panvilla police as he had been accused of theft. After consulting a lawyer and receiving assurances from the police that he would not be ill-treated he accompanied his parents to the police station. At the station he and his parents were verbally abused […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Mr. Wasantha Abeysinghe (43) of Air Force Road, Kimbissa in the Matale District was illegally arrested and severely tortured by police officers attached to the Sigiriya Police Station on 12 July 2011. Wasantha was an ordinary peasant engaged in agriculture farming and Chena […]

Dear friends,  Mr. Alexander Thayaparan (48) of No 352, Hospital Road, Mannar was illegally arrested by officers attached to the Sri Lanka Navy on 17 April 2009. Thayaparan is disabled as his leg was amputated due to shelling some years earlier. He and his family were displaced by force due to the movements of the […]

Dear friends,  Lieutenant Colonel Wickramasinghe Arachchige Ranjith Chandrasiri Perera (47) of No: 5B/27, Army Quarters, Kendalanda, Homagama is a commissioned officer attached to the Sri Lanka Army who served as the Commander of the Transit Army Camp at Ratmalana in 2009. Lt. Col. Wickramasinghe was illegally arrested and severely tortured by police officers attached to […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a journalist Mr. Nilupa Sanjaya Liyanagehewa of Neth FM, one of the Sri Lanka’s leading electronic media institutions, was assaulted by a group of 15 police officers attached to the Mulleriyawa Police Station on 4 June 2011. He was later admitted to the […]

A court in Bangkok on 10 August 2011 sentenced a torture victim to two years in prison for having spoken out against his alleged torturers. Police Major General Chakthip Chaijinda brought the criminal complaint (Black Case No. 2161/2552) against Mr Suderueman Malae, one of the clients of forcibly abducted and disappeared human rights lawyer Somchai […]

Dear friends,  Mr. Kalappam Manoharan (32) of Ratwatte Lower Division, Ukuwela in the Matale district was illegally arrested by officers attached to the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) branch of Kandy Headquarters Police Station on 11 August 2008. Monoharan, a casual labourer, lived in the same village his whole life. After he was arrested he was severely tortured and later forced to sign a document prepared bythe police officers. Later he was produced before three Magistrate’s Courts; Kandy, Matale and Dambulla accused with fabricated […]

About 36 years ago two brothers were illegally arrested and tortured to confess to spying by the investigating authorities. Due to this false confession, they were convicted and imprisoned for 10 years. This case was recently reviewed by a court that found them not guilty in February last year. Based on this decision, their relatives […]

Dear friends,  Tamil detainees in Bogambara Prison were severely tortured by the prison officials on 14 June 2011. They were threatened that they would face the same difficulties as Kuttamanni and Thangathurai, two former detainees who were killed. The prison officials later admitted the seven detainees to the Prison Hospital at Bogambara Prison. Neither the […]

Dear friends,  Ms. N. Agnes Malini of No:18, Gala Landa, Manikhinna in the district of Kandy is a widow and the mother of a 17-year-old boy named T. Yoganathan. Yoganathan was illegally arrested and severely tortured by police officers attached to the Manikhinna Police Station on 8 December 2010. Yoganathan lost his father in his […]

Dear friends,  Mr. Saliya Chandrasena and Padma Jayanthi are the parents of an 11 year child, Aruna Dinujaya Chandrasena. They wanted to admit their child to a better school for his education so in May 2011 they admitted their child to Lakpahana Adventist College Mailapitiya to year 6. During the process of admitting the child […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding alleged illegal arrest and torture of a 21-year old man whose spine was broken as a result of the abuse. Mr. Nijamuddin Sekh was arrested on 21 July 2011 in Nepalgunj from police officers from the District Police Office, Banke under allegations of […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following open letter from the Balawaristan National Front (BNF) to the President of Pakistan. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong An Open Letter from the Balawaristan National Front (BNF) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Mr. Asif Ali Zardari […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the persecution and intimidation of a human rights defender and filing of fake charges of robbery against him and his elder brother who is an education department officer of government of Sindh. The case was filed allegedly on the behest of a former […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the torture of a woman, Ms. Harkali Pun, by two policewomen following order from a higher-ranking officer in District Police Office, Banke, on 12 July 2011. The victim’s hand was broken as a result of the torture but the police have consistently refused […]

Dear friends,  Mr. Madasamy Vishwanadan (42), was the principal at Rosella Tamil Maha Vidiyalaya. When his mother died in 2008 he informed his brother who lived in Kilinochchi but the man failed to attend the funeral. However, his nephew was able to come and he stayed a few days in Vishwanadan’s home. On his way […]