Torture

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that the police had assaulted and laid false charges on another officer for his involvement in working against illegal logging. The policemen had his house searched without court orders. He was threatened and the police ignored the complaints he had made against the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that a man, who had to endure a court trial over false charges laid on him for assaulting policemen two years ago, has been continuously deprived of medical examination and treatment while in detention. The policemen tortured him in custody after they arrested […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) strongly condemns the arbitrary arrest and detention of eight women and their children as hostages by police, in order to secure one man from the same family who was allegedly involved in abduction of a government official on November 24. Police have so far refused to disclose […]

Dear friends, As earlier reported the fabricated charges against Mr. Razzak and Mr. Shankar and their risk of torture in police custody (AHRC-UAU-065-2008), the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has obtained information today that the police asked detainee’s relatives to pay more bribes so that they will not be tortured. The officers also threatened that […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed by a local human rights organisation Nervazhy based in Thrissur, Kerala state concerning the case of Mr. Hithin who was abused and tortured by the state police officers. It is reported that Hithin, a Dalit, was taken into custody by the police officers and […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that on 1 October 2008 the police allegedly assaulted a man. He tried to prevent a boy at a restaurant from being beaten by the police. As a result he was taken into police custody and again severely beaten by the police. CASE DETAILS: (Based […]

(Further to our statement of yesterday, October 28th we are forwarding the full text of the statement by the Special Rapporteur on Torture and other cruel, inhuman made on October 23rd at the 63rd Session of the General Assembly). 63rd session of the General Assembly Third Committee Item # 64(b) 23 October 2008 New York […]

Though the concept of human rights was now universally accepted, Manfred Nowak, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, today warned that ill treatment was still “widespread”.  Indeed, he could not say that conditions of detainees had improved at all in the 60 years since the Universal Declaration […]

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that prison guards allegedly tortured a young man at Prey Sar prison on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. As a result of this torture, Heng sustained a fractured skull and died in a hospital in Phnom Penh on 21 November 2008.  CASE DETAILS: (Source: Am Sam […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a father and his 14-year-old son were illegally arrested and taken to Kurunegala Police Station by officers on 11 July 2008. The officers did not produce them in court within the required statutory 24 hours. During nine days’ detention, the officers tortured the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the case of Mr. Hartoyo who was tortured and sexually abused in January 2007 in Aceh. The Banda Aceh District Court treated this case as a minor offence and let those responsible go free. UPDATE INFORMATION: Mr. Hartoyo and his partner were […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the illegal arrest and detention of a man in Kandy in May 2008 who was not produced before a court for four months. During detention the police tortured him to confess to being a terrorist. CASE DETAILS: (Based on the testimony of the victims […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been closely following and documenting the detentions and trials in Burma following last September’s mass protests. In this appeal we bring you the case of Zaw Min, who was accused of having sent news abroad, although no independent witnesses or evidence have been brought to the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that the soldiers responsible for illegally arresting and assaulting a man have remained free. They have not been held accountable because a sergeant, knowing their identities, failed to take action in naming the soldiers’ involved. CASE DETAILS: (According to information from the Task Force […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wants to inform you that a torture victim Ms. Sumitra Khawas, who had remained detained at the Area Police Office (APO) of Belbari, has been transferred to the Morang District Police Office (DPO). UPDATED INFORMATION: According to the information we have received from Advocacy Forum-Nepal, on 22 […]

Sugath Nishanta Fernando assassinated 20th September 2008 Gerard Perera assassinated 24th November 2004 Killing a person in Sri Lanka has become as easy as a child bursting a balloon. The inquest inquiry before the Negombo High Court regarding the assassination of Sugath Nishanta Fernando revealed details of how two persons riding on a motor bike […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that a torture victim as well as a complainant in a bribery case against the police was assassinated by unidentified gunmen while driving with his son on 20 September 2008. Before this assassination took place, the victim had repeatedly asked relevant authorities for […]

On the 20th September Sugath Nishanta Fernando, of Negombo who was the complainant in a bribery case and a torture case in which the allegations were against several police officers of the Negombo area, was assassinated. The family has very clearly stated that they suspect no one else for this murder except the police officers […]

Prompt enquiries from a competent and independent special police unit needs to be conducted into to the assassination of Siyaguna Kosgodage Anton Sugath Nishantha Fernando, who was a complainant in a torture case before of the Supreme Court and a bribery case before the High Court against several police officers attached to the Negombo Police […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Elpitiya police allegedly tortured two young men and fabricated charges while they kept them in police custody, on May 5 and 6 2008, in Sri Lanka. As a result of the torture, one man underwent emergency surgery and was hospitalised for 12 days. […]