Prison conditions

PHILIPPINES: Treatment for tuberculosis must also be afforded to prisoners — Asian Human Rights Commission

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes with deep concern that two detainees, Leo Paro and Melvic Lupe, have died, reportedly due to tuberculosis while being held at the Karangalan Police Station in Cainta, Rizal. Paro and Lupe succumbed in October 2009 and December 2008 respectively. Neither of them received treatment. I am aware that […]

SRI LANKA: Panadura North Police fabricate charges against a man, who is later tortured by Kalutara prison guards

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a man was taken to court by the police and remanded for 18 days on tenuous grounds, with limited and fabricated evidence. The case is one of many received by the AHRC that illustrates gross misconduct, both by officers who wish to boost […]

BURMA: Concerns for the health of detained human rights defenders

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed about the worsening health of some human rights defenders currently detained in prisons in Burma on whose cases we have earlier issued appeals. Some of the prisoners have received no medical assistance despite their serious conditions. CASE DETAILS Pyi Phyoe Hlaing (AHRC-UAC-025-2009) and Ko […]

UPDATE (India): Schizophrenic patient still detained in solitary confinement after six years

Dear friends,  On 8 September 2008, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) reported on the case of Roy Varghese, a schizophrenic detainee held at Central Jail, Jaipur, Rajasthan, in urgent need of psychiatric treatment. Roy has been in custody since 1992 and despite repeated attempts by human rights defenders to improve his conditions, the government […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Ailing Abadilla Five detainee receiving threats following renewed campaign to release them

Dear friends,  The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes with deep concern regarding the death threats that one of the Abadilla Five detainees, whom we previously reported to have been suffering from kidney failure, is receiving inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City where he is presently detained.  UPDATED INFORMATION:  On 14 January 2009, […]

SRI LANKA: Custodial death in Negombo; prime witness assaulted by jailors

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that an inmate died in Negombo prison after being assaulted by jail guards on 4 July 2008. While the investigation was being conducted, Miswar, the prime witness in the case was attacked by jail guards who did not want him to come before the […]

INDIA: A schizophrenic man is detained in solitary confinement without medical treatment

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed through its local contacts in Rajasthan that a man, Roy Varghese, has been detained in solitary confinement in prison for the last five years. He is a schizophrenic and is not receiving medical treatment. The prison officials at the Central Jail, Jaipur, Rajasthan, have […]

CAMBODIA: Police allegedly extort bribes in arrest in Rattanakiri province

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that the police allegedly ordered parents to pay a bribe of 150000 riels (US$37.5) each if their sons were not to be arrested after these youths had damaged a party sign in Soeung commune, Bor Keo district, Rattankiri province. On 2 July 2008, they arrested […]

CAMBODIA: Young man died in pre-trial detention due to medical negligence

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that a young man named Yan Sok Kea died on 28 April 2008 due to lack of medical treatment while in pre-trial detention in Prey Sor Prison on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. He was detained on 14 November 2007, fell ill while in detention, […]

BURMA: Young woman and man illegally held and charged without evidence over protests

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that a young woman and young man are among those persons currently being tried in courts in Burma over their alleged roles in the nationwide protests of last August and September. The two were illegally held without charge for months before being brought […]

UPDATE (Cambodia): Urgent call for prompt investigation into the alleged torture of a police officer in Kep seaside town

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that to date no investigation has been conducted into the alleged torture of police officer Pring Pov in Kep seaside town. He was punished for refusing to follow an order to cede his land to a senior government minister. (See further: AHRC-UAC-045-2008; AHRC-UAU-012-2008) UPDATE INFORMATION: Pring Pov, […]

BURMA: Young man wrongly jailed on charge of inciting September protests

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been documenting cases of illegal arrest, detention and prosecution since the nationwide protests in Burma last September. In this appeal we give the details of the case of one young man who was arrested because of having some publications linked to those events and after a […]

UPDATE (Cambodia): A ranking police officer allegedly order a lower officer punished in a land dispute

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information that a national police commissioner allegedly ordered the punishment of Pring Pov as Pring refused to follow an order to cede his land. To date no investigation into several violations of criminal procedure code against him has been reported. The police allegedly illegally […]

BURMA: Young woman jailed for life without getting lawyer and in violation of many procedures

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned about the case of a young woman who was arrested coming into Burma from neighbouring Thailand and charged with illegal immigration, joining in illegal associations and sedition. The laying of charges and the passing of sentences against Ma Thanda were all in violation of […]

CAMBODIA: A police officer allegedly tortured and illegally detained in custody due to a land dispute

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learned that a police was arrested on 19 February 2008 and allegedly tortured and ill treated in police custody in Kep seaside town, Cambodia. He was confined to a windowless cell and shackled at night. Despite having wounds on his body, he has been denied access […]

PAKISTAN: Life of a prisoner in Guantanamo is at risk

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the deteriorating health of a Pakistani prisoner detained in a U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The prisoner is suffering from a serious heart ailment and his health has worsened since he was first imprisoned there in September 2004. The government of Pakistan […]

BURMA: Young woman illegally detained and denied bail after September protests

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been documenting cases of illegal arrest, detention and prosecution since the nationwide protests in Burma last September. In this appeal we give the details of the case of one woman who was abducted and held at a special military camp and later released but again rearrested […]

CAMBODIA: Forced eviction of 229 families in Sihanoukville

[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 […]

PHILIPPINES: Delays in prosecution causes prolonged detention of two farmers

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you about the prolonged detention of two farmers in Davao Oriental province, the Philippines. Both of them have been detained for almost three years without any progress in their case because the prosecution witnesses failed to appear in court on six occasions. One of […]

UPDATE (Bangladesh): Three detained and tortured leaders have been released from prison in Chapainawabganj

[RE: UP-013-2006: BANGLADESH: Three persons tortured by the Chapainawabganj police; UA-041-2006: BANGLADESH: Eight people killed and at least one hundred injured by police fire in Chapainawabganj district; UA-013-2006: BANGLADESH: Two people killed and thirty-five injured by police fire in Chapainawabganj district] ———————————– UP-016-2006: BANGLADESH: Three detained and tortured leaders have been released from prison in […]