Torture

PAKISTAN: An ISI torture victim may commit suicide if not rehabilitated and his family may join

Mr. Mohammad Iqbal Awan, who was kept in an army torture cell by Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) officials for five years, announced that he will commit suicide along with his wife and child on August 14, on Independence Day of Pakistan, if the government and Pakistan army do not rehabilitate him and his family. After […]

NEPAL: A teenage boy dies in police custody; foul play is suspected

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a 16-year-old boy died in custody in unclear circumstances in Rupendehi District. Dharmentra Barai. The boy was arrested by the police and brought to Khajuriya Police Post regarding a lethal bicycle accident. He was taken dead to the hospital in the early morning […]

ASIA: Women’s views on prevention of torture – Interview 33

An interview conducted by the Asian Human Rights Commission. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the AHRC. A Retired Lady Police Sergeant Talks About Policing In Sri Lanka Seetha Kumarasinghe, a fifty six year old retired lady police sergeant, a Sinhalese from Mathale made the following statement, answering questions posed to her. […]

BURMA: A man is severely tortured for a month at Rangoon police headquarters and sentenced to 15 years in prison

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 […]

BANGLADESH: Gulshan Police kill a detainee for failing to pay bribe

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that a businessman was shot dead by the Gulshan Police in Dhaka after having been kept in arbitrary detention for two days. The incident reportedly took place shortly after the victim’s relatives had refused to pay bribes. The man was brought to a hospital with […]

SRI LANKA: A man is badly beaten by Saliyawewa police during an illegal arrest and is denied medical treatment

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned of the illegal arrest, detention and assault of a man by police from Saliyawewa Police Station. The victim was badly beaten by police on his arrest, was transported between police stations by bicycle, and was denied sufficient medical treatment. The charges against him appear to […]

SRI LANKA: Two men are beaten and tortured with leeches by Matugama police; one faces fabricated charges

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the unlawful arrest and torture of a farmer by Mathugama police. The man was falsely accused of selling illicit liquor and was tortured during arrest, along with another man, in a vegetable pit filled with leeches. The police have reportedly fabricated charges against […]

NEPAL: A child is in danger after he is tortured by the family of a policeman; his lawyers are threatened

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is extremely concerned for the safety and health of a young boy, after he was badly tortured by the family of a police inspector. The 14 year old boy worked as a domestic helper in the house of Police Inspector Chet Bahadur Pathak in Kathmandu, and was […]

BANGLADESH: A man dies in police custody after refusing to pay bribes; his relatives are warned not to pursue the case

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that a mechanic died violently in the custody of Ramna Police in Dhaka, shortly after he refused to continue paying bribes. The police reportedly started extorting money from the victim after the Rapid Action Battalion seized the auto-rickshaw that he operated and the two men […]

ASIA: Women’s views on prevention of torture – Interview 32

An interview conducted by the Asian Human Rights Commission. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the AHRC. Sri Lanka–A woman speaks out against bad policing and torture Sarani Fernando is a lawyer living in Negombo. She has been active in human rights work for about ten years. She made following comments in […]

PAKISTAN: A court fails to arrest a fugitive police chief

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 […]

BANGLADESH: Detective branch police illegally arrest a man and fabricate an arms case against him after his family fail to pay a bribe

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received detailed information about the engagement of Khulna Detective Branch officers in extreme and open extortion. The officers arbitrarily arrested a man from his home and detained him illegally at a police post for ransom, while threatening to file fabricated charges against him. After his family […]

ASIA: Women’s views on prevention of torture – Interview 31

An interview conducted by the Asian Human Rights Commission. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the AHRC. Sri Lanka–A woman speaks out against bad policing and torture Chathuri Tharangani is a 25 year old sociology graduate at the University of Kelaniya. In the following interview she expresses her views on policing in […]

ASIA: Women’s views on prevention of torture – Interview 30

An interview conducted by the Asian Human Rights Commission. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the AHRC. Sri Lanka – A woman speaks out against bad policing and torture This is Subani. She is the daughter of a furniture manufacturer. She is also a 32-year-old mother of one and reading for her […]

SRI LANKA: Killing beggars under the pretext of eliminating terrorists?

A news report published on June 11th from Colombo stated, “Members of the vanquished Tamil Tiger terrorist organization, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are posing as beggars in the cities throughout the country to gather information, Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne said today. Addressing a ceremony held in his office this morning to […]

PAKISTAN: The ISI severely torture a soldier for five years on false charges of spying for India

The Asian Human Rights Commission has received a report of the atrocious torture of a soldier by the Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) on the false charges of working for the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), of the Indian intelligence agencies in Pakistani held Kashmir. He was arrested by the ISI and then disappeared for […]

BANGLADESH: Detective Branch Police forced businessman to pay ransom after kidnapping and torture- victim goes into hiding due to threats after filing complaint

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that the Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police kidnapped a businessman and forced his family to pay ransom after torturing him while in incommunicado detention on 18 May. After being released from police custody he has received numerous death threats from police following his […]

NEPAL: Custodial death of a Dalit from police torture in Kathmandu

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Jagaran Media Center (JMC) in Nepal regarding the custodial torture and death of Mr. Sanu Sunar, aged 46 years, a person from Godavari, Lalitpur district. At the time of death Sunar was temporarily living in Kalanki, Nepal. The police officers from Kalimati […]

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): The trial of a three-wheeler driver lags; his allegations of torture are not investigated

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission would like to report that the case of a three-wheeler taxi driver charged with carrying drugs – which he claims were found in the possession of his passengers – is being continually stalled by police in the Maligakanda Magistrate’s court. The man remains in remand, unable to afford […]

PHILIPPINES: Torturers and their ‘torture chambers’

In Philippine society where people often know everyone in their communities, torture is known to be a common practice. People know who the torturers in their locality are, and where victims are taken to be tortured. Once a person is arrested and held, whether by the police or soldiers, being assaulted and beaten in crowded […]