Threats and intimidation

UPDATE (Nepal): Another two cases of torture perpetrated by the same members of the Morang Police

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from reliable sources concerning another two cases of torture allegedly perpetrated by the same three members of the Morang District Police Office, Balram Yadav, Shyam Chaudhary and Rajendra Mehata. CASE DETAILS: Mohammad Jabbar Miya, 19, owns a meat shop at Devkota Chowk, Biratnagar Municipality […]

PAKISTAN: Higher police officers have impunity in the torture case of a French researcher

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed from Pakistan Women’s Lawyer’s Association that the police in Pakistan have been involved in beating, torturing and threatening a French researcher on 20 September 2007 and have not been charged. While no action has been taken against them, the police officials threaten local journalists […]

NEPAL: Three members of the Morang police engaged in serial torture

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from reliable sources concerning two cases of torture allegedly committed by the same perpetrators from the Morang District Police Office in Nepal on 4 and 10 September 2007 respectively. The AHRC has also received another two cases of torture by these persons that it […]

SRI LANKA: Kalutara South police tortured a man in order to fabricate charges

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the prolonged and brutally torture of a man by the Kalutara South police, Sri Lanka on 14 October 2007. The police took him to the police station where started assaulting with a wooden baton, suffocating him by slamming water from a hosepipe onto […]

UPDATE (Philippines): Four activists facing continuing threats under surveillance

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you of yet another incident whereby four activists, two of them were reported by us to have already been threatened a year ago, were kept under surveillance by unidentified men on 20 September 2007 in Angeles City. They had just finished a press conference […]

NEPAL: Journalist abducted by Maoists, whereabouts still unknown

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from reliable sources in Nepal that a journalist Mr. Birendra Shah was abducted by the members of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) on October 5, 2007 from Pipra Bazaar, Kalaiya, in Bara district. It is reported that he was abducted for writing news […]

PAKISTAN: Chief Justice of a provincial High Court was threatened by a ruling party

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from reliable sources that several judges including the Chief Justice, of the Sindh High Court were threatened by a ruling political party in General Musharraf’s government on accepting the bail applications of several arrested lawyers on 29 September 2007. There were a variety of […]

SRI LANKA: A 17-year-old schoolboy victimized by education and policing institutions of a failing system

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the alleged assault and arbitrary deprivation of a 17-year-old schoolboy’s right to education by his school principal for more than 4 months, despite education department directives to the contrary. When his parents complained to the police, they were threatened and pressurized by the […]

UPDATE(Indonesia): Continuing threat on the head of the Human Rights Commission in Papua; soldier threatens to kill a priest

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes with deep concern regarding the continuing threat and lack of protection to Mr. Albert Rumbekwan, head of the National Human Rights Commission’s (Komnas HAM) office in Papua. On September 23 unidentified persons broke into Rumbekwan’s house. It is believed this was yet another incident in the […]

THAILAND: Court dismisses case against protesters; prosecution should cease pursuing innocent persons

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is pleased to inform you that a court in Thailand has dismissed an appeal against 20 persons who were arrested for demonstrating against a pipeline project. The court held that the group was exercising their freedom of assembly which was protected under the abrogated 1997 Constitution. Another […]

NEPAL: Continuing impunity for policemen that tortured a school teacher

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you of the continuing failure by the authorities to take adequate action against the policemen involved in torturing a school teacher following his arrest on August 23, 2007. The victim, Siya Ram Gachaedar, was taken for questioning to Haraicha Area Police Station (APO), Haraich […]

UPDATE (Bangladesh): A human rights defender is implicated with the alleged false charges

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned that Mr. Jahangir Alam Akashi, a journalist, as well as a human rights defender based on Rajshahi city, has been implicated with an alleged false extortion charge on 28 August 2007. The charge against Mr. Akashi is based on a complaint lodged by Mr. […]

UPDATE(Burma): Human rights defender sentenced to three years in jail for “illegal tuition”

Dear friends, Further to our most recent update on Burma from last week, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that another human rights defender in Burma has been sentenced to jail for three years on the pretext of giving illegal tuition. As described in the previous appeal (UP-105-2007), Ko Min Min […]

SRI LANKA: Man severely tortured by the Badureliya police; Court denies medical examination of torture victim

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the torture, illegal arrest and detention and the fabrication of charges of a 42-year-old man by the police. He was brutally tortured and denied medical treatment. His lawyer informed court about the torture but despite of the threat to his life the Magistrate […]

NEPAL: Man forcibly disappeared and another severely tortured by the Young Communist League affiliated to the Maoists

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that two cases relating to torture and abduction allegedly committed by the Young Communist League (YCL) which was affiliated to the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) (CPN (M)). After the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Government of Nepal and CPN (M) on 21 November […]

UPDATE(Sri Lanka): Three years after incident, intimidation of torture victim by the Moratuwa Police continues

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information about the continued harassment and intimidation of a torture victim who was allegedly severely assaulted by the Moratuwa Police in September 2004. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) had recommended compensation of Rs. 12,500 (approximately 112 US dollars) to be paid […]

BANGLADESH: An alleged brutal assault of four persons by the Meherpur Sadar police

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from a reliable source regarding the alleged brutal torture of four persons by the Meherpur Sadar police in Meherpur district, Bangladesh on 19 June 2007. Three among the four victims are from the same family, while the fourth person is their neighbor who was […]

INDONESIA: Religious persecution escalates on minority Islamic group, Ahmadiyah in Tasikmalaya, West Java

Dear Friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the continued attacks and threats to the minority Islamic sect Ahmadiyah in Tasikmalaya, West Java, from 19-26 June 2007. An Ahmadiyah mosque was attacked by mobs from three other Islamic sects, and there are continuous threats from the mobs to ban the religion. […]

UPDATE(Nepal): Torture and sexual molestation victim receives threats from the police for registering a case in court

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned by reports that a torture and sexual molestation victim, 30 year-old widow Ms. Kalpana Bhandari, has received serious threats from the police since she registered a case demanding compensation for torture with the Kathmandu District Court on June 11, 2007, concerning her arbitrary arrest, […]

UPDATE(Pakistan): Gang rape victim threatened by local politicians; police exonerates perpetrators before investigation

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information on the case of a 15-year-old girl who was gang-raped by more than a dozen attackers from Town Layyah in Punjab province beginning on 30 January 2007 (For details, please see: UA-081-2007). According to the latest information we have received, the victim has been […]