South Asians for Human Rights is pleased to announce the completion of its Annual Report for the year 2012. Key programme areas affecting the State, Democracy and Citizens have been detailed, together with summaries of SAHR’s annual activities –…
A US-based Sikh group today said that it will challenge the decision of an American district court last week to dismiss alleged human rights violations case against Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
The Sikh for Justice (SFJ) had filed the case of alleged human rights violations against Mr Badal last year, but it was dismissed by a US district court in Wisconsin last Friday.
The group said it will appeal against the order in the US Court of Appeals asking for a remand to depose Mr Badal personally before a US Federal Judge on the issue of the service of summons
SFJ has retained the services of a top Chicago based law firm and famed Super Lawyers “Pavich Law Group” with Ian Levin, a former US federal judge, who have experience in cases related to human rights violations filed under Alien Tort Claims Act and Torture Victim Protection Act, the rights group said in a statement.
The All India Human Rights Association (AIHRA) has demanded that the Indian troops and police personnel involved in human rights violations in occupied Kashmir should be punished.
The Association said that it would submit a memorandum to the Indian Home Ministry and other officials in New Delhi seeking prosecution against the troops and police personnel involved in human right abuses.
The Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR), while seeking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s intervention in expediting the ‘ Indo-Naga‘ peace talks, also demanded the release of all Naga “political prisoners”. In a memorandum submitted to Singh on Monday,…
The UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, who was on an official visit to India from March 19 to 30 last year, has presented his findings in a report and proposed recommendations to ensure better protection of the right to life in India.
The Special Rapporteur, Christof Heyns, has expressed serious concern over the alarming level of extrajudicial executions in India.
The report specially mentions the excessive use of force against peaceful demonstrators in Indian-control Kashmir, fake encounters by government forces, unmarked mass graves, and unbridled powers given to security forces in the region.
SAHR held a Regional Consultation on Rule of Law Perspectives on Detention and Treatment of Detainees in Kabul, Afghanistan, on 16th December 2012. The consultation focused on a theme very relevant to Afghanistan, particularly given the impending withdrawal of…
SAHR commissioned background papers which examined the history and current state of emergency regulations and national security laws in South Asia, and how the States have abused them. These papers formed the basis of SAHR’s Regional Workshop to Develop…
The mission found that the Maldives has not adequately addressed the authoritarian trends that needed to be transformed before real democracy prevailed in systems of governance, that State and independent institutions had failed to respect the separation of powers…
South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) condemns the attack on Sarabjit Singh in Pakistan prison on 26th April 2013 and on the Pakistani prisoner, Sanaullah, serving a life term in the high security Kot Balwal jail on the outskirts of Jammu, by a fellow inmate on 3rd May.
This attack comes as an immediate reaction to the attack and death of an Indian prisoner in a Pakistan jail, Sarabjit Singh, who died on 2nd May 2013 after fighting for his life for a week, on being attacked by fellow inmates.
The need of the hour is to stay calm and sane and to observe restrain. We need to uphold the virtues of decency and justice. SAHR strongly feels that reactionary politics and violence of any form is no solution to any problem.
As Gandhiji said, “an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind”. The region’s best tribute to Sarabjit’s memory will be to make sure that no prisoner is ill-treated in any country.
The consultation in Pakistan, titled “Consultation on Durable Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons in the Context of Shrinking Humanitarian Space”, was held in on 13 December. Politicians, lawyers, journalists and human rights activists comprised the 20 participants. Following an…