Dear friends,
Amnesty International, supported by other civil society organisations such as the Advocacy Forum Nepal, is beginning an international campaign today to call for justice in the infamous case of murdered 15-year-old Maina Sunuwar. Four military officers are accused of having illegally arrested, raped and tortured Maina to death on 17 February 2004. Despite the enormous national and international attention this case has received the perpetrators have not yet undergone prosecution.
UPDATED INFORMATION:
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is informed that civil society groups, including Amnesty International and the Advocacy Forum – Nepal are launching an international campaign to demand the prosecution of suspects in the Maina Sunuwar case. A letter will be sent to the Attorney General of Nepal, Prof. Dr. Bharat Bahadur Karki, expressing concern about the government’s refusal to take any action against the suspects in the case and demanding their prosecution; it will be signed by several civil society groups.
The AHRC supports this campaign and requests you to join it.
The AHRC has been reporting regularly on this case since 2005 (UP-136-2005) and has observed an extremely worrying lack of progress in obtaining justice for the victim’s family. This case has become an emblem of the malfunctioning justice and police system in Nepal and of the absence of all accountability for those who have committed human rights violations during the conflict. An unsuccessful legal prosecution will be a huge setback for those who are trying to establish the rule of law in Nepal.
For further details about the Maina Sunawar case please visit UAU-004-2010.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please join the international campaign calling for prosecution of the suspects in the Maina Sunwar case. Alternatively you can also write to the relevant authorities in Nepal to urge for stronger efforts in ensuring that the four officers involved in Mainas arbitrary arrest, rape, torture and murder are promptly brought before a civilian court. Please request that security be provided for the victims family. You may use the original sample letter prepared by the AHRC, available here.
Please be informed that the AHRC has written a separate letter to the UN Working Group for Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights-Nepal Representative, calling for intervention in this case.
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Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
