Prosecution system

An Article by Basil Fernando  This is a speech delivered by Basil Fernando at  The Fifth  Human Rights Cities Forum-  As the Keynote address for the Special  Session on Asian Human Rights – Human Rights in Asia and Vision of Human Rights City- 16th May 2015. It is useful, I think, to recall the aims […]

On 8 May 2015 the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission issued a short statement (No. 5/2015) to the effect that two soldiers accused of involvement in the killing of freelance journalist Ko Par Gyi on 4 October 2014 have been acquitted of any crime by a summary court martial. The statement explained that the men, […]

Gabriel Garcia Marquez once spoke of Fidel Castro as a person “incapable of conceiving any idea that is not colossal”. During the last few months in Sri Lanka too there has been an interest in colossal ideas. One such colossal ambition is the idea of eliminating corruption.  It even became a major theme in an […]

by Basil Fernando A young man, then 18 years old, filed a communication on 28th January 2003, about an incident that took place on 18th April 2002. The UNHRC came to a finding on 14th July 2006. The UNHRC found that the Sri Lankan Government has violated the rights of the man by its failure to adjudicate […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that activist Thant Zin Htet has been charged for taking part in a peaceful protest in 2014 against lands seized by the government. He was arrested when he arranged a welcoming for student protesters marching from Mandalay to Yangon in February 2015. A Township Sub-administrative Officer […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the imminent execution of a mentally ill man, who was tried and convicted on illegal drugs charges in Indonesia. Rodrigo Gularte has a long history of severe mental illness, dating back long before his arrest, and he continues to suffer from paranoid schizophrenia. […]

March 24 marks the fifth annual International Day for the Right to Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed this day in 2010 to honor the memory of victims and recognize the work of countless human rights activists around the world who have devoted […]

A Statement from Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) and the Former Political Prisoners Society (FPPS) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Today – March 13, 2015 – the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) and the Former Political Prisoners Society (FPPS) announce the extension of the 2015 Palm Campaign in light of the […]

Citing lack of evidence against those accused of killing 22 Dalits in Shankar Bigha of Jehanabad, the district civil court acquitted all of the suspects. Coming a full 15 years after the massacre on the eve of 26 January 1999 – ironically the Republic Day – the verdict is not a standalone case of justice […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission is gravely concerned about growing use of courts to attack freedom of expression in matters of religion in Burma. In the latest case, a writer was charged for allegedly insulting Buddhism. He criticised the people and monks who used Buddhism as a tool of discrimination and did not […]

Four years have passed since the Government of India mooted the idea of drafting a legislation criminalising torture. The Prevention of Torture Act, 2010, after being passed by the lower house of the Indian Parliament, was discussed in the upper house. The upper house constituted a Parliamentary Select Committee to review the law, a process […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that a separate investigation is now being conducted on how and why a mother, whom we reported to have filed a complaint against a school principal for beating her son, ended with herself being arrested, detained and prosecuted on false charges. UPDATED INFORMATION: (Based on […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is pleased to inform you that the charges against Fernando Obedencio, a human rights activist whom we reported to have been tortured, falsely charged and held for nearly nine years, have been dismissed. The court granted his petition to dismiss the fabricated charges of possession of illegal […]

Since India’s general election, Uttar Pradesh has witnessed sharp escalation of sexual violence and lawlessness. The rape of a session court judge in her official residence, guarded by the Provincial Armed Constabulary round the clock, highlights the extent of violence and lawlessness in the state. There is no indication that the Uttar Pradesh state government, […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) expresses its concern over the recently passed Truth and Reconciliation Law in Nepal. The law violates international standards, the Supreme Court verdict of January 2, 2014, and also the Interim Constitution and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of Nepal itself. The last time the government came up with the […]

The United States, the United Kingdom and a delegation of the European Union on Friday called upon the Government of Pakistan to resolutely defend media freedom in the country, adding that gags on the media and attacks on journalists were not acceptable. While marking the World Press Freedom Day today, May 3, the European Union […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed of the case of a mother that is facing a fabricated charge filed in court against her. The lady was pursuing justice for her 12-year old son who was beaten by a school principal. In the principal’s attempt to escape from his liabilities for […]

A girl recently killed herself in Kathmandu after the police dilly-dallied in helping her to find justice. The girl had been raped by her father’s business partner. Instead of acting quickly, the police delayed registering a case. Registration was done only after some pressure. The girl became psychologically fragile, but there was no one to […]

(Hong Kong, February 6, 2014) On January 14, the Court of Appeals (CA), Fifth Division, has concluded that Rolly Panesa, a 48-year-old security guard, could not possibly be Benjamin Mendoza, a leader of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), rejecting the claim of the police and soldiers as justification for his arrest. In its press release, […]

In an exclusive interview with Nilantha Ilangamuwa, the editor of Torture – Asian and Global Perspectives, Ms. Fatou Bensouda, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), said, “We apply the law without distinction, fear or favour. We follow the mandate that has been given to us under the Rome Statute. Regrettably, often the lack of full […]