Right to fair trial

Sri Lanka Report for 2017 2017 was a decisive year for Sri Lanka, showing what progress had – and hadn’t – been made in the past few years. In January 2015, a new government was elected with a massive intervention on the part of the people. For 10 years, their premiere, Mahinda Rajapaksa, ran an […]

We reproduce below the full text of the view adopted by UNHRC in Rita Jesudasan’s case. The case was submitted to the committee by ALRC. Views adopted by the Committee under article 5 (4) of the Optional Protocol, concerning communication No. 2256/2013*, ** Submitted by: X. (represented by counsel, Sergey A.            […]

This week Just Asia begins with India, where two young men were lynched on the suspicion of being child abductors. Niloptal Das and Abhijeet Nath were artists based in Goa, who had come to Assam to celebrate the Bohag Bihu festival and do some sight-seeing. A mob stopped their SUV at night, believing a child […]

A Statement from Coalition Against Summary Execution (CASE) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission We, at Coalition Against Summary Execution (CASE)*, condemn in the strongest terms the Supreme Court’s decision granting the Solicitor General’s petition for Quo Warranto against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. It is abhorring to see the Supreme Court majority surrender […]

This week Just Asia begins with terror attacks in Indonesia. The country’s second largest city of Surabaya saw yet another suicide bombing on Monday morning, at the police station. On Sunday, three churches were attacked, killing at least 11 persons, and injuring 41 persons during Sunday mass. This was one of the worst attacks on […]

A Statement from Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights (KARAPATAN) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission Karapatan expressed disappointment on the ruling of the Regional Trial Court Branch 36 of Calamba, Laguna yesterday, May 16, 2018, on the criminal cases filed by security guard Rolly Panesa against four police officers and other John […]

This week Just Asia begins with India, where the government has cleared an ordinance introducing the death penalty for those committing sexual assault of children younger than 12 years. The ordinance has come under fire as such a serious change in the law has been attempted without proper debate and consultation in parliament. Furthermore, the […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the police attack on six public lawyers of the Yogyakarta Legal Aid (LBH Yogyakarta). Moreover, the police also prevented the lawyers from providing legal aid to the students who had been arrested and detained at the police office. In total, 11 students and […]

A Joint Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission and the Terai Human Rights Defenders Alliance The proposed draft of Nepal’s National Integrity Policy (NIP)1 has created havoc among the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) and the wider human rights community in the country. It has been reported that the National Integrity Policy drafted […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the trial process of Mr. Anoldy Bahari, a resident of Gadog village, Cibitung sub-district, Pandeglang Regency, Banten Province. The judges of Pandeglang District Court ignored evidence, witnesses and defence petitions submitted by Alnoldy. On the contrary, the judges merely considered the witnesses […]

This week Just Asia begins with Nepal, where April 25 marked the third year since the devastating Gorkha-centered earthquake. The 2015 earthquake killed 8,979 people and destroyed around 900,000 homes. It is a tragedy that many victims continue living in tattered makeshift camps and tents. As yet another monsoon nears, people hope that the new […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from LBH Jakarta (Jakarta Legal Aid), SAFEnet, and Sejuk. All of them are civil society organizations that monitored and advocated the following case. It is in regard to a criminal charge against Mr. Alnoldy Bahari, a resident of Gadog village, Cibitung sub-district, Pandeglang Regency, […]

This week Just Asia begins with India, where an 8-year-old girl from Kashmir was gang-raped and murdered. Her family reported her missing in January this year, and only a week later was her body found. According to the charge sheet filed in April, the girl from the Bakarwal Muslim community was gang-raped and murdered by […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding cases of forced evictions. They were conducted by the Indonesian Navy (Lantamal V TNI AL) against local residents in Jalan Tanjung Karang (East Part), Jalan Tanjung Balai (East Part), Jalan Tanjung Pinang (East Part), Jalan Tanjung Torawitan, Jalan Tanjung Layar, Jalan Tanjung Pura […]

An article from the Jakarta Post forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission By Jony Eko Yulianto The daughter of Indonesia’s first president, Sukmawati Soekarnoputri, issued her tearful apology to Indonesian Muslims over her poem which allegedly insulted Islam. She said “Ibu Indonesia” (Mother Indonesia), which suggested traditional songs and women’s appearances were more beautiful than “your […]

By Urmila Pullat On Mar 20, 2018, in Dr. Subhash Kashinath Mahajan vs. The State of Maharashtra And Anr., the Supreme Court of India held that there is no absolute bar on granting anticipatory bail for complaints under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (hereinafter the SC/ST Act). Further, […]

By Arif Maulana Introduction In the last two years, under the government of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Jusuf Kalla, the execution of death row inmates in Indonesia has occurred frequently. The government has said the executions are conducted due to the state of emergency cause by the narcotics problem. In 2015-2016, 19 prisoners were […]

This week Just Asia begins with India, where a nationwide strike has resulted in nine deaths so far. The strike was called on Monday, to protest the changes to the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes prevention of Atrocities Act by the Supreme Court. The changes will make it difficult to file cases against public servants for caste atrocities. Next, […]

A Statement from by Dr. Umakant of JNU forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission April 02, 2018, JNU, New Delhi We must remove inequality, Ambedkar said, or our political structure will be in peril http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/sc-st-act-we-must-remove-inequality-ambedkar-said-or-our-political-structure-will-be-in-peril-5122076/ This protest was unprecedented because it was largely led by ordinary Dalits and Adivasis, while political parties and their leaders played […]

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information of the wrongful shooting of a young man, Aldi Prasetya, carried out by Police Officers of the Central Sulawesi Regional Police Station (Polda Sulawesi Tengah) and Luwuk Police Station (Polres Luwuk). Aldi was shot in the forehead while he and his friends were watching […]