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Last week, in the High Court of Badulla five police officers and a security officer were sentenced to death for causing the murder of Sadun Malinga, a 17-year-old boy. The boy and four of his relative...

Mr Basil Fernando, Director of Policy and Programmes of the Asian Human Rights Commission in Hong Kong speaks with Mr Faraz Shauketaly, Host of the News First – TV1’s “Newsline” program...

By Basil Fernando I have had the privilege of witnessing the birth of an initiative to create a people’s movement not affiliated to any political party, which targets a minimum of one million me...

2016 end-of-the-year commentary on human rights in Sri Lanka The neglect of the right to life within the country is quite symbolically expressed in the failure to address the spread of dengue in any s...

by Basil Fernando In last week’s article, we discussed the recommendations of the United Nation’s Committee against Torture. The Committee has recommended the state party establish an ind...

United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT Committee) has published its concluding observations after considering the 5th Periodic Report of Sri Lanka. A high level delegation from Sri Lanka met t...

We reproduce below a media statement by the Organization for a Just Society. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG_BPqDkQ2whttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG_BPqDkQ2whttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG_BP...

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the occasion of Human Rights Day In Sri Lanka, what remains widespread in political, social, and cultural life is widespread shameless impunity rela...

[December 8, 2016] On September 2003 a 15 years old boy complained of torture by officers of the Saliyawewa Police Station alleging that officers made him sit on ant hill, for about 20 minutes and th...

by Basil Fernando “A History of Ceylon Police” by late A.C. Depp, former Inspector General of Police, is a book consisting of three volumes that gives a good insight into the manner in which the ...

Kingsley Karunaratne Delegation says Sri Lankan government has zero tolerance for torture, but critics say police ‘enjoy impunity’ The United Nations Committee Against Torture (UNCAT) is i...

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), received information regarding Mr. Rajapaksha Madagam Gedara Rathnasiri, of Pahurugolla Estate, Udawela, Theldeniya in Kandy District. He was ma...

The Asian Human Rights Commission has received a detailed complaint from Mrs. Herath Mudiyanselage Podi Kumarihami of Poojanagaraya, Mahiyangana, in the Badulla District. Her complaint reveals that th...

By Basil Fernando When the high level delegation of Sri Lanka met the UN Committee against Torture (CAT Committee) last week on the 5th Periodic Review, one of the Committee members raised an import...

The weekly Times column, Focus on Rights, titled ‘More (Legal) Horrors of Sri Lanka’s Counter-Terror Draft’ by Kishali Pinto Jayawardena, in the Sunday Times, Sri Lanka, on 06 November 20...

Media Release ‘Police Shooting of Two Jaffna University Students in Jaffna:Friday Forum Calls for Reflection on Process of Demilitarisation’issued by the Friday Forum, on 10 November 2016, forwar...

Dear Friends, According to information received by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), Mr. Sumesh Jeevantha Kumara (17) and his mother, Mrs. Herath Mudiyanselage Podi Kumari (49) residents of 20...

Dear friends, Mr. Dissanayaka Mudiyanselage Sarath Dissanayaka of Piliyandala, Colombo District was illegally arrested, detained and tortured by police officers attached to the Colombo Crime Division ...

Dear friends, Mrs. Hashika Shashi Kanthi of Palugasdamana, Saliya Wewa in Puttalam District, was tortured by four policemen attached to the Saliya Wewa Police Station. At 10 pm on the night of 23 July...

By Basil Fernando Gunadasa Amarasekera has recently published a book entitled ‘Sabyathwa RajyakKara’ (Towards an Ethical State). At around the same time, I published a book entitled ‘Dharmas...