Urgent Appeal Update

UPDATE (Malaysia): Authorities continue to refuse victim’s family access to post-mortem report in case of suspicious death

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the case of G. Francis Udayapan, whose body was found in the Klang river on 23 May 2004, more than a month after he was arrested by the police. Brickfields police officers claim that Udayapan jumped out of the police station window […]

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): Priyankara brutally assaulted and arrested with no access to lawyers

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is seeking your urgent intervention regarding torture victim, J.V. Saman Priyankara, who was arrested at his house by ten police officers on 7 July 2004. Due to the brutal assault by the police officers, Priyankara seems to have partially lost his hearing. Although higher authorities in the […]

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): SRI LANKA: Torture victim severely beaten again and feared being killed by the police; URGENT INTERVENTION NEEDED to save a victims life

Dear friends Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC has been informed that Jayasekara Vithanage Saman Priyankara, a former torture victim, has been severely beaten up by police officers attached to the Matale Police Station and he is being held presently at the same police station. AHRC has learned that Saman Priyankara has been severely pressured during […]

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): Tissa Kumara receives further death threats

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information of further death threats to torture victim and tuberculosis patient Koralaliyanage Palitha Tissa Kumara, since he has been released on bail. Yesterday, 4 July 2004, a police constable Nishantha, (probably from the Wellipena Police Station) came to Kumara’s home and told him and his […]

UPDATE(Sri Lanka): Magistrate orders exhumation of the body of the police officer who allegedly died due to torture

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that on 23 June 2004, the Trincomalee Magistrate ordered the exhumation of Mr. Senarath Hettiarchchilage Abeysinghe’s body, who died under highly suspicious circumstances, on May 17. This order was made after recording the statement of Mr. Abeysinghe’s wife who stated in court that her […]

UPDATE (Nepal): Seven people who faced returned home safely

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is happy to inform you that seven persons who faced re-arrest by the police after their release from Banke Prison Nepalgunj on 23 June 2004, went back to their home safely on June 24. AHRC has previously issued an urgent appeal on this case on June 23 […]

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): Police pressure the torture victim to withdraw case by threatening his family

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned at the death threats to the family of torture victim Koralaliyanage Palitha Tissa Kumara. According to the information received, Tissa Kumara received a message through a third party that his wife and their child will be crushed to death by a vehicle if his […]

UPDATE (Pakistan): Police inaction as threats continue against a victim’s family and human rights group

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received additional information about the killing of Irfan Khokhar in Pakistan (Refer to: UA-49-2004 and UP-24-2004). The victim’s family is still being threatened as are staff members of Peace Worldwide, who is helping the victim’s family. Irfan Khokhar, who was the information coordinator of Peace Worldwide, a Christian organization […]

UPDATE (THAILAND): 5 suspects in the alleged abduction of missing human rights lawyer Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit bailed out

The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information about the releasing of five suspects in the alleged abduction of human rights lawyer Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit who has been missing since 12 March 2004. There have been complaints by the senate panel committee led by Senator Sak Kosangruang that the committee does not feel that the […]

UPDATE (Pakistan): The accused in the case of Ms. Hazooran’s murder was arrested

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Gulshan Ali, one of the two perpetrators who killed Ms. Hazooran, was arrested by the Drakhan investigative police team in his village of Drakhan on 30 May 2004. Gulshan Ali killed his wife Hazooran with his brother Dilawar, who has yet to be […]

UPDATE (Nepal): The two arrested human rights defenders were released unconditionally

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is happy to inform you that the two arrested human rights defenders Dinesh Prasain and Usha titikchu were released unconditionally from the Anamnagar City Police Office, Kathmandu at around 2:30pm on 5 June 2004. In the morning of 4 June 2004, Dinesh Prasain, a coordinator of Collective […]

UPDATE (Pakistan): Three of the nine perpetrators were arrested but the police officer pressured politically

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information on the case of the two teenage girls killed in the instance of “honour killings” (FA-12-2004). Apparently, after an urgent appeal was issued, and the local police station notified, the police assigned two policemen to provide security to the complainant and witness in […]

UPDATE (Pakistan): Victim’s sister receives death threat; Victim’s family needs urgent protection

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned that Ms. Samina Khokhar, the sister of Irfan Khokhar, has received a death threat from unknown men who are believed to be connected to the perpetrators of her brother’s murder. Irfan Khokhar was the information coordinator of Peace Worldwide, a Christian organization based in […]

UPDATE (SRI LANKA) : Tuberculosis patient kept in solitary cell due to fabricated charges by police

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned that Mr. K.P.Tissa Kumara is being kept in a solitary cell, even though he was diagnosed with tuberculosis at the Nagoda General Hospital on 30 April 2004. After his diagnosis, Mr. Kumara was taken back to the Kalutatra Remand Prison -where he was being […]

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): The torture victim acquires tuberculosis by the direct action of the police

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission has just know learned that Mr. K.P.Tissa Kumara, who was severely tortured by the Sub Inspector (S.I.) Silva of the Wellipenna Police Station on 3 February 2004, has been diagnosed by doctors as suffering from tuberculosis. In our previous urgent appeal issued on 13 February 2004, we reported […]

UPDATE (Nepal): Police commandeering private trucks in their illegal operations

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is sending you updated information about the situation in Nepal. Please send a letter to the Government of Nepal demanding that they restore the parliament, revoke the draconian order of illegal assembly, and unconditionally release all detainees. To see our previous appeals issued on the current situation […]

UPDATE (Nepal): Continued arrests and detentions of demonstrators, bystanders and journalists

Dear friends The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information on the continued arrests and detentions of demonstrators in Nepal. According to the information, those detained are not getting basic facilities as provided for by law and also have no access to journalists, human rights activists or party officers. The Government of Nepal […]

UPDATE (India): Post mortem procedures in West Bengal and the case of Mousumi Ari

Dear friends Further to the letter by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on defective post mortem procedures in West Bengal (see http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2004/639/) and Urgent Appeal on the case of a young woman whose murder was covered up by the judicial and government authorities (see http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2004/647/), the Executive Director AHRC has today sent a second letter on […]

UPDATE (Nepal): Arbitrary detention and arrests continued

Dear friends Further to the Asian Human Right Commission’s urgent appeal issued yesterday on the dire situation in Nepal [see http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2004/654/], we have received updated information on further arrests in large numbers on 15 April 2004. Violations of human rights by the Government of Nepal continue; over 1000 peaceful demonstrators, including the President of the Nepali […]

UPDATE (Sri Lanka): Trial drags on for rape victim as she awaits justice

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Rita, a student and rape victim is now suffering from a three year delay of the courts in hearing her case and serving her justice. One of the most shocking cases of fundamental human rights violations of women took place in broad daylight […]