Torture

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) provides you the updated information below regarding the case of Mr. Gerald Perera, a torture victim who was shot by an unknown person on 21 November 2004. (See further: UA-157-2004)  As of now, this case has not received any attention from the Sri Lankan authorities. Even though Gerald Perera […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that 21-year-old Don Mahesh Duminda Weerasuriya was illegally arrested and tortured by the officers of the Panadura North Police Station on 5 November 2004. It is reported that the police arbitrarily arrested the innocent victim to inquire into the whereabouts of his uncle. According […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that 20-year-old Mr. Pushparaj Kanagaraj was severely tortured by a drunk officer of the Pussellawa Police Station for several hours after being arbitrarily arrested on 23 September 2004. The victim claimed that the police prosecuted him with false charges after taking bribes from a […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned by information we have received regarding further torture inflicted on victims by police in Ayutthaya province, Thailand. The AHRC released an urgent appeal last Friday, 12 November 2004 (UA-153-2004) regarding two cases of extremely serious torture and cruel and inhuman treatment by police in […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to bring to your attention two recent cases of very serious and gruesome torture and cruel and inhuman treatment by police in Thailand. According to the information we have received, in the first case officers at the Lumpini Police Station in Bangkok detained a young couple […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the case of Mullakandage Lasantha Jagath Kumara, who was tortured to death by police officers of Payagala Police Station, has not yet been prosecuted under the Convention Against Torture (CAT) Act, No 22 of 1994.   According to the information received, though Inspector of […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that 23-year-old Mr. E.R. Kumara was arbitrarily arrested and tortured by Kalutara North police officers on 14 October 2004. At the time of arrest, it is reported that a Sub Inspector (SI) failed to show a memo of warrant to Mr Kumara. He then […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a torture victim, Hikkaduwa Liyanage Sandun Kumara (17 years old) and his family has been receiving continuous threats from the police officers who were involved in the brutal torture of the victim. H.L. Sandun Kumara had been illegally detained, brutally tortured and sexually […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the torture and inhuman and degrading treatment of a Dalit youth, called Sharavanan, by police officers attached to the Njarackal Police Station between 22 September 2004 and 30 September 2004.  The victim was detained on 22 September 2004, following a complaint lodged against […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a man named Kadawatha Gedara Dharmasiri (32) was tortured and prosecuted on an alleged false charge by Police Officer Kithsiri, of the Hasalaka Police Station, on 2 August 2004. Due to the torture inflicted by Officer Kithsiri, the victim now suffers from severe […]

The manner in which inquiries are conducted by the Human Rights Commission (HRC) of Sri Lanka and particularly about the functioning of the Kandy Area Office including the conduct of the coordinator of that office, Mr. Sumanasekara, have been a source of concern for the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) for quite some time. The […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a 42-year-old man named Rathnasiri Senadheera was arbitrarily assaulted by the sub inspector (SI) of the Horana Police Station on 29 September 2004. The victim was visiting his brother who was in police custody at the time of the incident. Due to the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the wife and daughter-in-law of Dehiwatte Gedera Jayathilaka, who was allegedly killed by police torture at the Mahawela Police Station on 9 March 2004, were arrested by the officers from the Matale Police Station at around noon of 14 October 2004. The wife’s […]

The obstacles to eliminating torture in Bangladesh were foremost in the discussion at a recent meeting in Dhaka organised by Odhikar, a well-known national human rights organisation. There was consensus that grave torture exists throughout the country and that its causes are systemic: these include the following.   Torture is not a crime under national […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information of the alleged torture of Mr. Ranawaka Arachchige Hemasiri (40) by Police Constable Sunil and another police constable (who can be identified if seen again) at the the Kuruwita Police Station on 19 September 2004. Due to the brutal torture inflicted upon the victim […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received a letter of response from the National Police Commission (NPC) of Sri Lanka regarding the case of Channa Prasanka Fernando. In the letter, the Chairman of the NPC confirms that action has been taken against a perpetrator of torture. The AHRC had sent an appeal letter to […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned by a case regarding the severe torture of Mr. Horathelpedige Vijitha Dammika Nimalasiri (25) by the Veyangoda police on 5 September 2004. The victim was illegally arrested by the Veyangoda police in the early morning and brutally tortured by five police officers including the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is deeply concerned by the safety of a torture victim, Mr. Channa Prasanka Fernando, and urges the local authorities to provide full protection to him. According to the updated information we have received, Mr. Channa Prasanka Fernando went into hiding in order to safeguard his life. On […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a man named Heeralu Mohottalalage Punchi Banda (39) was illegally arrested and tortured by the Sub Inspector (S.I.) Dhammika Bandara of Samanalaweva Police Post in Balangoda on 26 August 2004. Due to brutal torture, the victim still suffers from severe pain on his […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a torture victim, S. Channa Prasanka Fernando (27) was kidnapped and tortured for three days by Sergeant Subasinghe of the Negombo Police who forced the victim to write letters withdraw complaints against him. Previously, the victim had been tortured by the same sergeant […]