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Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has come to learn of a case involving the Homagama police. After stopping a citizen and finding a knife in his possession, Police Sergeant (PS) S...

The Asian Human Rights Commission expresses deep sadness on the occasion of the passing away of Suranjith Hewamanna in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Hewamanna was one of the bravest lawyers in the country durin...

In a recent decision, Sri Lanka’s Court of Appeal refused interim relief in a case challenging recent appointments made by President Rajapakse contravening the Constitution. The court also refut...

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has come to learn of a case in Sri Lanka involving the forced labour of three minors in lieu of their parent’s debt. When the parents of the thr...

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has come to learn of a case of suicide following an arrest by the Charau Market Police. MASUM, a partner of the AHRC in India has informed us tha...

The Asian Human Rights Commission has previously informed you about the controversy that started when the Executive President bypassed the constitutional provision requiring the appointments of judges...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 4, 2006 AS-131-2006 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) SRI LANKA: Seventh day of mourning against executive interference into the judiciary and other in...

The numerous appointments to key national commissions by the executive president, contravening constitutional requirements, are a very clear indication of Sri Lanka’s drift from a law-based soci...

[RE: UP-167-2005: SAUDI ARABIA/SRI LANKA: A season’s appeal for intervention in the case of the three Sri Lankans facing death sentence; UP-43-2005: Questions remain in Sri Lanka’s willingness ...

When the Executive President made appointments to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, ignoring the constitutional requirements that the selections be made by the Constitutional Council, he clea...

A judicial system is fragile. It requires care and vigilance to ensure its efficacy and prevent destruction. It also requires a positive mindset among judges, lawyers and litigants, as well as the con...

With the subjugation of the courts to the dictates of the executive since the 1978 Constitution, Sri Lankan lawyers have been facing tremendous angst. Over the past 28 years they have endured signific...

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received the following information regarding the brutal death of farmer Mr. Bagbul Islam Mondal from its partner organisation Banglar Manabad...

Press Release May 30, 2006 President Mahinda Rajapakse has recently filled the vacancies in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal without following the constitutional provisions and bypassing the Cons...

Yesterday the AHRC announced a week of mourning following the executive president’s appointment of two judges and the president of the Appeals Court and a judge to the Supreme Court contravening...

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is alarmed by the continuing reports of forced disappearances of persons in Pakistan with the latest incident involving 12 people having been dis...

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the refusal of the Dodangoda police to register a complaint. On 24 May 2006, L Sarath Vijitha was assaulted by...

With the direct appointment of two Court of Appeal judges, the president of the Court of Appeal and one Supreme Court judge by Sri Lanka’s executive president, the judiciary has been dealt an at...

The rule of law in Sri Lanka which is in abysmal decay, suffered a further major set back when the President of Sri Lanka acted as if he is more supreme than the Constitution, by making three appointm...

Colombo, 23 May 2006 The South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) has noted that four countries from the region have been elected to the newly formed United Nations Human Rights Council. SAHR is concerned...