Freedom of expression

SRI LANKA: Sharing basic documents relating to the issue of Rule under Section 42(2) of the Judicature Act by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka against Mr. Nagananda Kodituwakku Attorney-at-law on 29th February 2024

Hong Kong, March 07, 2024  As there is a curiosity on the part of many persons and organizations about the Rule issued against Mr Nagananda Kodituwakku Attorney-at-law by the Supreme Court we are sharing the basic documents that provide the essential information about this case. The Rule was made under Judicature act 42(2) while ordering […]

SRI LANKA: AUTHORITIES CONTINUE TO STIFLE PROTESTS, HARASS ACTIVISTS AND PUSH REPRESSIVE LAWS

A Statement from CIVICUS forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission The CIVICUS Monitor in December 2023 downgraded Sri Lanka’s civic space rating to ‘repressed,’ with authorities clamping down on protesters, stifling journalists and targeting activists amid mounting public frustration with poor governance and a lack of accountability. In January 2024, Human Rights Watch said […]

INDONESIA: Shrinking of public space on expression, association and peaceful assembly

PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY  Discussion at Yogyakarta State University Critics against the Regime Forcibly Dispersed by the Rector          Discussion and gathering that was planned by the students of Yogyakarta State University (UNY) and other academics, such as lecturers and professors, were forcibly dispersed by the Rector due to the committee of the discussion did not have permission from the rector. Previously, […]

INDONESIA:Acquittalverdict of Haris and Fatia is a victory for the freedom of expression

(Hong Kong, January 16, 2024) The Panel of Judges at the East Jakarta District Court has issued an acquittal verdict regarding the case of criminalisation against Ms. Fatia Maulidiyanti (the Director of the Commission for the Disappearances and Victims of Violence [KontraS] for the 2020-2023 period) and Mr. Haris Azhar (the Founder of the LOKATARU […]

INDONESIA: Emergency Protection for Human Rights Defenders

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission on the occasion of Human Rights Day In commemorating the International Human Rights Day, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) highlights the theme of the lack of protection of human rights defenders in Indonesia. More than 20 years’ of political reform after former dictator President Suharto stepped […]

INDONESIA: The Indictment of Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti Denounces the Right to Freedom of Expression and Opinion

The trial process of Ms. Fatia Maulidiyanti, a Coordinator of the Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence / KontraS 2020-2023 and Mr. Haris Azhar,the Founder of the Lokataru Foundation, finally entered the stage of reading the prosecution by the Public Prosecutor (Jaksa Penuntut Umum/JPU). However, before the Prosecutor submitted the prosecution, the legal team of Fatia and Haris also submitted documentary evidence which […]

SRI LANKA: IMF observations on an Independent Prosecution office for Sri Lanka

IMF in its recent report issued in September titled Sri Lanka; Technical Assistance Report-Governance Diagnostic Assessment, has directed its attention to the problems relating to the independence in conduct of prosecutions into crimes in Sri Lanka. It points to the absence of independent prosecutor in Sri Lanka and also notes that this given rise to real or perceived […]

SRI LANKA: If Tocqueville was to read our proposed Anti-Terrorism Act

By Basil Fernando Alexis Charles Henri Clérel, comte de Tocqueville is the famous author of the book Democracy in America. It is one of the world’s best known writings which have been appreciated by many philosophers, writers, thinkers and also people in many countries. It has also been translated into many languages.  Tocqueville was a […]

INDONESIA: Stop violence and protect Rempang residents’ rights

Hong Kong, Thursday 14, 2023 The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) supports 130 Indonesian civil society organisations from the Aceh Province to the Papua Province to put pressure on the Indonesian Government, especially President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), to stop the Rempang Eco City project, stop blockades and evictions, and urge troops to unconditionally release residents of the Rempang Island of Riau Islands who were […]

INDONESIA: Stop violence and prosecute the perpetrators who attacked peaceful protesters in Padang West Sumatera

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to the Chief of National Police, Jakarta, Indonesia General of Police Listyo Sigit Prabowo Chief of National Police (KAPOLRI) Jl. Trunojoyo No. 3, Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan 12110 Indonesia  Tel: +62 21 384 8537, 726 0306 Fax: +62 21 7220 669 E-mail: info@polri.go.id Dear General, INDONESIA: Stop […]

තරිඳු උඩුවරගෙදර අත්අඩංගුවට ගැනීමට අදාළ මහා ප්‍රශ්නය

An article from Sri Lanka Brief forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission මෙම සටහන ඉතා පුළුල් කීර්තියක් ඇති තරුණ මාධ්‍යවේදියෙකු වන තරිඳු උඩුවරගෙදර අත්අඩංගුවට ගැනීමත් සමඟ මතු වූ විශාල ප්‍රශ්න පිළිබඳවය. පසුගිය සිකුරාදා (ජූලි 28) උද්ඝෝෂනයක් වාර්තා කිරීමේ අරමුණින්  සහභාගි වෙමින් සිටි තරිඳු උඩුවරගෙදර ත්‍රිරෝද රථයකින් ඔහුගේ කොණ්ඩයෙන් වියරු ලෙස බලහත්කාරයෙන් ඇදගෙන ගොස්  පොලිස් නිලධාරීන් පිරිසක් […]

SRI LANKA:How loud can you talk in a court proceeding?

By Basil Fernando This article is  a follow up to: 1. Does the proposed contempt of court Bill amount to 23rd amendment to the constitution?     2.  Is contempt of court unlike any other crime? To anyone who may be surprised by this question, we wish to remind that not too long ago, the issue became […]

SRI LANKA: The Arrest of Tharindu Uduwaragedera – Larger questions

By Basil Fernando On the larger questions raised by the arrest of Tharindu Uduwaragedera, a young journalist of very wide reputation. Tharindu Uduwaragedera who was attending a meeting on Friday (28 July) for the purpose of reporting on the meeting was forcibly dragged out of a three-wheeler, grabbed by his hair and roughly manhandled by […]

SRI LANKA:Is contempt of court unlike any other crime?

By Basil Fernando The purpose of the proposed Bill on the Contempt of Court is to criminalise the acts which may be considered to constitute the offence of contempt of court and to punish it. Clearly, this proposed Bill is meant to create offences under the contempt of court and therefore the purpose is to create […]

SRI LANKA:Beneath the skin deep liberalism lies cancerous caste prejudices

By Basil Fernando This article is  a follow up to:  The caste-based culture is still the key obstacle for development in Sri Lanka The debate on how important caste consciousness is in Sri Lanka today and whether class consciousness has replaced caste consciousness requires that we briefly examine the the beginnings of capitalism in Sri Lanka, […]

INDONESIA: The Prosecutor of the Haris and Fatia Case Behaves Like Luhut Binsar Panjaitan’s Attorney (LBP) and Restricts Trial Access in the East Jakarta District Court

The trial on the criminalization case against Ms. Fatia Maulidiyanti (Coordinator of KontraS) and Mr. Haris Azhar (Founder of Lokataru) entered the stage of examining the reporting witness, namely Mr. Luhut Binsar Panjaitan. At this trial, it became increasingly clear that the Public Prosecutor (JPU) no longer represented the interests of the State but behaved […]

INDONESIA: Anamicus curiaebriefon the case of Mr. Haris Azhar dan Ms. Fatia Maulidiyanti

An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) to the Panel Judges: 1. A case register Number No. 202/Pid.Sus/2023/PN Jkt.Tim (Suspect Mr. Haris Azhar) 2. A case register Number. 203/Pid.Sus/2023/PN Jkt.Tim (Suspect: Ms. Fatia Maulidiyanty) Jl. Dr. Sumarno No. 1, RT.7/RW.4, Penggilingan, Kec. Cakung, Kota Jakarta Timur DKI Jakarta -13940 Telp : +622148703788 | Faks […]

INDONESIA: Stop and Investigate Repression and Intimidation Against Civilians During the ASEAN Summit

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) supports the statement of the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS)  condemning all forms of repression and intimidation against civil society during the preparation and implementation of the ASEAN Summit  in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara Province (NTT). Based on the information we received, one of […]

INDONESIA: Pembatasan Acces to Justice Keluarga korban Kanjuruhan bentuk ketidakseriusan Negara dalam penegakan Hukum dan HAM secara berkeadilan

Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), sebuah organisasi Hak Asasi Manusia (HAM) regional dan internasional, mendukung statemen tentang Akses Keadilan Untuk Keluarga Korban Kasus Kanjuruhan yang dikeluarkan oleh Koalisi Masyarakat Sipil yang terdiri dari Yayasan Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Indonesia (YLBHI), Komisi Untuk Orang Hilang dan Korban Tindak Kekerasan (KontraS), LBH Pos Malang dan LBH Surabaya.  Keluarga […]

INDONESIA: The Second Trial of Mr. Haris Azhar and Ms. Fatia Maulidiyanti, the Prosecutor’s Indictment with Formal Defects and the Lack of Objectivity of the Law Enforcement

Ms. Fatia Maulidiyanti and Mr. Haris Azhar, two Indonesian human rights defenders, returned for their second trial with an agenda for reading the exception or objection note at the East Jakarta District Court. On 17 April, 2023, at the same time that the document was read, the security and human rights situation in Papua had […]