AFAD 25 Years Video Teaser

This AFAD video teaser is an opening salvo of the yearlong campaign and fight Against Enforced Disappearances and for the Protection, not Persecution, of Human Rights Defenders, across Asia.

a continuing crime
a disappearing act

What's Happening

Ngayong ika-25 ng Pebrero, 40 na taon mula noong EDSA People Power Revolution, ating inaalala ang lahat ng biktima ng paglabag sa karapatang pantao, kabilang na dito ang mga sapilitang iwinala, sa ilalim ng diktadurang Ferdinand Marcos Sr. 

Binalot ng kadiliman ang buong bansa sa ilalim ng batas militar ni Marcos Sr. Sa loob ng 14 na taon, libu-libo ang matatalang paglabag sa karapatang pantao. Sa panahon na ito, ayon sa Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND), may naitalang 1,034 na biktima ng sapilitang pagkawala – 626 sa bilang na ito ay hindi pa rin nalilitaw. Marami sa mga ito ay mga kabataan, lider-manggagawa, mamamahayag, at kritiko ng gobyerno na ninakawan ng kinabukasan. 

As Bangladesh approaches its historic February 12 election, the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) stands in solidarity with the people of Bangladesh in their pursuit of a peaceful, transparent, and inclusive democratic process. This election, the first since the “Monsoon Revolution” of July 2024, represents a critical turning point for a nation transitioning from authoritarian rule. 

This statement addresses the grave deterioration of judicial independence and due process in Pakistan, as reflected in the case of Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha. At the epicenter of this crisis is the case of human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha, whose arbitrary arrest on January 23, 2026, and subsequent 17-year prison sentence on January 24, 2026, represent a watershed moment for the rule of law in South Asia . This case is not merely a localized legal dispute; It demonstrates the use of criminal law to silence human rights defenders. The sentencing of Mazari and Chattha to a combined 17 years in prison was facilitated by the strategic deployment of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), specifically as modified by the draconian 2025 amendments .

AFAD recently concluded a series of deeply moving meetings in Nepal with human rights defenders (HRDs) and the families of victims of enforced disappearances (ED). As the country navigates a "second transition" following recent Gen-Z protests, we are here to ensure that emerging political issues do not drown out the calls for transitional justice.

The Federation

AFAD map