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Sri Skandaraja Sumanan, a twenty eight year old man was taken into custody by two persons in civilian dress who identified themselves as officers from the Police Intelligence Services. He was taken in...

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the Occasion of the International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011 The international community, including leading human rights agencies and organ...

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the Occasion of the International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011 On the occasion of the annual International Human Rights Day, held on December...

Dear friends, Mr. Ranasinghe Arachchige Sanjeewa (33), a driver by profession, has been in police remand and arbitrary detention for more than fifty days following his illegal arrest by the Talatuoya ...

ASIA: How can lawyers caught up in a dysfunctional system change the situation?1 Basil Fernando 2 This is the text of a speech delivered at the 2nd ICJ Geneva Forum of Judges and Lawyers, held in Ge...

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following open letter from Mrs. Sandya Eknaligoda to Mr. Joao Nataf, Secretary to the United Nations Committee again...

(Hong Kong, December 1, 2011) Janasansadaya, a well-known human rights organization in Sri Lanka has produced a short interview with Basil Fernando of the Asian Human Rights Commission. In the intervi...

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) is a subject of severe criticism by human rights activists and jurists in India and across the world. The alarming number of human rights abuses com...

First round The Committee against Torture (hereinafter – “the Committee”), presided over by Mr Claudio GROSSMAN1 , began its consideration of the third and fourth periodic reports submi...

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following statement from the Committee against Torture at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Asian Human Rights Commission...

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following article from the Sunday Leader, written by Raisa Wickrematunge. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- An article f...

Dear friends, Mr. Chulani Thilakarathna, (50) of Ushani Plant Nursary, Dunkannawa, Naththandiya in Putthalam District was severely tortured, illegally arrested and detained by police officers attached...

Dear friends, Ms. E M Premawathi (53) is a widow and the mother of two children. She resides at Alikewela, Heagedara, Marassana in the Kandy District. Premawathi learned that her Brother-in-Law has pr...

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Ms. Frederica Sandra Carmela Jansz, editor of the local, English-language newspaper, The Sunday Leader, received se...

The meeting of the Sri Lankan delegation with the CAT Committee took place earlier. Kindly see our comments on those meeting of the 8th and 9th November. It is now a suitable moment to take an ove...

Dear friends, Mr. M.M. Kushantha Janaka Herath was illegally arrested, detained and severely tortured by officers of the Wattegama Police Station on 30 October 2011. Kushan was on his way home when he...

The government decision to call for registration of websites that publish any material relating to Sri Lanka has come under severe criticism from local journalists and other concerned persons and grou...

Dear friends, Mr. Sarath Keerthirathna (40) of No: 130, Nilgalla, Udispaththuwa in the Kandy District was illegally arrested and severely tortured by the police officers attached to the Ranagala Polic...

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information about an attempt by an unknown group of people to illegally traffic the organs of a cancer patient in Sri Lanka. Ms. TC Kanthi ...

The second day of the 47th Session on Sri Lanka at the CAT took place yesterday (November 9, 2011). For our comments on the first day please see here. At this session the Sri Lankan delegation was re...