Administration of justice

INDIA: A three-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl may die soon due to malnourishment in Uttar Pradesh

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from our local partner the People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights [PVCHR], a human rights organisation based in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh that Tinni Musahar, a three-year-old boy and Sushila Musahar, a one-year-old girl may die soon from acute malnourishment in Raitara Musahar ghetto of […]

BURMA: Six persons illegally jailed and charged for talking about workers’ rights

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been following with concern the case of six men who were arrested in Burma on May Day for organising some discussions about worker’s rights. The men have been charged with sedition and were finally brought before a judge nearly three months after their arrests. Their arrest […]

PAKISTAN: Historic verdict reinstates chief justice, challenges dictatorship

In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court of Pakistan today 20 July 2007 declared the suspension of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftekhar Choudry, by the president, General Pervez Musharaff, to be illegal and instructed that he be reinstated.  The Asian Human Rights Commission salutes the Supreme Court of Pakistan for this bold, upright and […]

INDONESIA: Alleged threats to lawyers in Medan by military personnel

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the public threats on two advocates from the Medan Legal Aid Institute (LBH Medan) by six members of the Indonesia Armed Forces (TNI-AD) on 5 June 2007, during a court trial at Pancur Batu State Court. It is reported that the military personnel […]

MALAYSIA: Altantuya’s murder trial: judicial independence of Malaysia on trial

We, the undersigned, express our grave concerns regarding the sudden twist of events in the murder trial of Mongolian national, Altantuya Shaariibuu, which has led to an unfair delay in the court process. The abrupt replacement of the public prosecutors by Attorney-General (AG) Abdul Gani Patail raises a number of disturbing concerns. First: Why was […]

INDIA: Human rights activist arrested for writing down judge’s name

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from its local partner, MASUM, a human rights organisation working in West Bengal, India regarding the arrest of one of its activist. It is alleged that Mr. Gopen Sharma, a staff of the MASUM working in Murshidabad district of West Bengal was ordered to […]

INDONESIA: Medan District Police again bring the Rule-of-Law into dispute with the brutal murder of an innocent man

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the brutal murder of Mr. Suherman, for reasons yet unknown, by Police Officers of the Medan District Police on the 11th April 2007. On the 11th April 2007, at around 3:30a.m., around 30 yet unidentified men claiming to be Medan District Police Officers […]

PAKISTAN: AHRC condemns the arrest, detention and physical violence used against lawyers supporting Chief Justice Iftehkar Chaudry

In the latest move against the supporters of Chief Justice Iftehkar Chaudry a Supreme Court lawyer, Mr. Ali Ahmed Kurd has been detained by the Quetta police at the district court. The detention comes after several attempts by unknown persons to abduct him failed. However, this effort by the government was aborted by the lawyers […]

PAKISTAN: Petition by the Chief Justice publicised

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) would like to share with you the constitutional petition filed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr. Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in the Supreme Court on April 25, 2007. In the petition, Justice Chaudhry is challenging his humiliation by the president of Pakistan and his detention during […]

INDIA: Bar Councils, lawyers and Indias destiny

A legal professional is not above the law. A solicitor in Hong Kong was sentenced to imprisonment recently. It was alleged that the solicitor’s client who had lodged a complaint about a stockbroker had been persuaded by the solicitor to withdraw the charges as the solicitor was allegedly involved with the stockbroker. A rather similar […]

PAKISTAN: Detention of Chief Justice shows utter disrespect for independence of judiciary

Shocking details are emerging about the manner in which the Chief Justice, Iftikhar Chaudry, was requested to resign from his post, and how when he refused he was physically restrained form leaving the President’s Camp Office for several hours and finally as to how a reference was cooked up and filed in order to prevent […]

PAKISTAN: Attack on independence of judiciary is now extended to freedom of expression and information

In the midst of the judicial crisis the government has opened yet another front in the hopes of exercising damage control in an attack on a television station that has been airing open discussions on the latest developments with regard to the political situation and also the judicial crisis. For the past several weeks the […]

THAILAND: System still shields police killers and torturers

Over two and a half years have passed since Kietisak Thitboonkrong was found tortured to death and dumped in a rural area of northeastern Thailand. Investigations by the National Human Rights Commission and others have pointed the finger of guilt straight at the Kalasin district police, in whose custody he was last seen a few […]

SRI LANKA: Getting the CID to investigate crimes and not expelling diplomats is the only credible answer to allegations of gross abuse of rights

The grave problems regarding the lack of credible investigations into human rights violations in Sri Lanka continues as the government makes threats to expel foreign diplomats who call for such inquiries as persons meddling in the internal affairs of the country. Whether the government itself has caused such violations is not the issue. The key […]

CAMBODIA: Unjust conviction of two men by the appeal court in the murder of Chea Vichea

[NOTICE: The AHRC have developed a new automatic letter-sending system using the “button” below. However, in this appeal, we could not include e-mail addresses of some of the Cambodian authorities. We encourage you to send your appeal letters via fax or post to those people. Fax numbers and postal addresses of the Cambodian authorities are attached below […]

INDIA: Police criminal nexus and absence of a legal framework perpetuates crime

Statement | India | 10-04-2007

Monoranjan Ghosh, a resident of Gopalpur village in South 24 Parganas District of West Bengal, was threatened by a money-extorting gang at least half a dozen times. Monoranjan was assaulted several times and had to be hospitalised once. His family and the entire village were threatened by the members of the gang. On each occasion, […]

THAILAND: Upon what does justice depend?

On April 9 the King of Thailand called upon a new group of superior judges to ensure that they “maintain justice”. The King pointed out that more than ever public confidence in the judiciary depends upon them. They are vital to the peace and survival of the country, he said; their task is not easy, […]

THAILAND: A 14-year trial and alleged police set-up

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has obtained detailed information about a trial in Thailand that has been going on for 14 years. The trial of four men for allegedly planning to kill the former Supreme Court president has gone on since 1993 even though the police have not presented material evidence against […]

SRI LANKA: Abuse of the powers of the AG’s Department and Criminal Investigation Bureau can turn Sri Lanka into a situation like that of the Gulag Archipelago

The last few weeks have seen the use of the powers of the Attorney General’s Department to freeze the accounts of a person associated with a leading newspaper which turned hostile to the government. Also during the last few days a former minister who had been vocal against the regime, which he served, accusing it […]

SRI LANKA: Admission of the involvement of law enforcement officers in abduction and killing of civilians is a bold move, but what really matters is how is it going to be dealt with?

The admission by the Chief of Police in Sri Lanka that the police, army and the army deserters are responsible for abductions and killings of civilians is a bold move. However, for the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) this is no news since the AHRC has been in the past calling for intervention and warning […]