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SRI LANKA: The faculty of law celebrates its 60th anniversary – amidst the greatest crisis the rule of law ever faced

The Faculty of Law was established 60 years ago to enhance the legal education in Sri Lanka as such education was to provide the qualified persons to run the institutions in the country within the fra...

SRI LANKA: Torture, corruption, inquiry into the former IGP and attitude levels of the judiciary

“Man arrested by the police yesterday was found dead today”, was the heading of a news item yesterday in a well known Sri Lankan newspaper. Such a report of custodial deaths is so common that t...

WORLD: Durban Review Conference must address work and descent-based discrimination that affects 260 million people across the world 

Joint statements at the second substantive session of the PrepCom (6-17 October 2008) Objective 1, section B: Victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance Dear Madam Ch...

SRI LANKA: Imminent execution of three Sri Lankans on Saudi Arabian death row can be prevented only by the Sri Lankan government providing legal fees for their appeals in time

The only way to prevent the three convicted Sri Lankans in Saudi Arabia from facing public execution by beheading is to lodge an appeal within 30 days from the date of conviction and this can only be ...

SRI LANKA: New technique to impede investigation into cases of torture and false charges

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 J...

SRI LANKA: An acquittal not based on evidence — HC Negombo case of Lalith Rajapakse

The Negombo High Court last week acquitted the accused in a torture case where a Sub Inspector of Police was charged with an offense under the CAT Act (Act No. 22 of 1994) punishable with seven years ...

INDIA: Opposing civil society participation is a threat to democracy

The deliberations of senior Indian politicians during the National Integration Council Meeting held in New Delhi on 13 October contradict India’s positions in international forums like the UN. T...

PAKISTAN: Police inaction on attack and threats against a charitable clinic serving for poor

[NOTICE: The AHRC has developed this automatic letter-sending system using the “button” below. However, in this appeal, we could not include e-mail addresses of some of the Pakistan author...

SRI LANKA: University fires professor for alleging provincial elections were rigged 

SOURCE: Free Media Movement (FMM), Colombo (FMM/IFEX) – The Free Media Movement (FMM) registers is deep disquiet over the indictment of the General Secretary of Campaign for Free and Fair Electi...

BANGLADESH: Military dealing with case assignments in the Supreme Court and the systematic smothering of the judiciary

The media reports alleging that it is in fact a military officer who decides the case lists in the Supreme Court of Bangladesh is a shocking revelation which sharply brings to light the militarised po...

SRI LANKA: the Bar Council resolution on the grenade attack on the house of J.C. Weliamuna, a lawyer, a human rights advocate and anti graft campaigner

(Hong Kong, October 13, 2008) We reproduce below the resolution passed unanimously at a general meeting of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka which met on the 11th October. This general meeting was held...

SRI LANKA: Re: Serious threats to the widow of the assassinated Sugath Nishanta Fernando

(The following letter was sent today to the following Sri Lankan authorities: Inspector General of Police, Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights, Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, Natio...

SRI LANKA: Police allegedly assault minor and fabricate charges

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Ambalantota police officers assaulted a minor and arbitrarily arrested and detained her and her sister in the custo...

SRI LANKA: Police allegedly torture a man and detain him for four months

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 mo...

SRI LANKA: Negombo High Court acquittal of the accused police officer in the torturing of Lalith Rajapakse is overwhelmingly contradictory to the facts in the case and the law relating to torture

The High Court judge of Negombo has acquitted the accused in the torture case of Lalith Rajapakse stating that the brain injury that the torture victim claimed due to assaults inside the Kandana Polic...

SRI LANKA: Supreme Court holds the former president, Chandrika Kumaratunga Bandaranaike responsible for corruption and betrayal of public trust placed on her as the head of the state

In the most significant blow dealt by the Supreme Court against the system of the executive presidency introduced by the 1978 Constitution, yesterday (October 8, 2008), a former president of Sri Lanka...

PAKISTAN: World Day against the Death Penalty, death row inmates moved to ordinary prisons but there is much more to be done

On the occasion of the World Day against the Death Penalty, the Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to thank and congratulate the federal government of Pakistan for stepping in at the eleventh hour t...

SRI LANKA: A senior lawyer, R.K.W. Goonersekere’s disclaimer that the Daily News failed to publish

(Hong Kong, October 7, 2008) We reproduce below a letter written by a senior lawyer, R.K.W. Goonersekere, who was a member of the delegation of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka that met the Executive ...

SRI LANKA: Attacks against civilians must cease 

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC STATEMENT AI Index No: ASA 37/029/2008 Date: 6 October 2008 In the wake of this morning’s suicide bombing, Amnesty International calls again on all parties in the conflic...

SRI LANKA: Breakdown of Law and Order – the Grenade attack on the house of senior lawyer Mr. J.C. Weliamuna 

The Asian Human Rights Commission is forwarding two releases by Sri Lankan organisations on the matter of the grenade attack on the residence of senior lawyer, Mr. J.C. Weliamuna Sri Lanka: Breakdown ...