It Is Time for Enforced Disappearances to Disappear

30 August 2017

Official Statement on the International Day of Enforced Disappearance

It has been 69 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights  (UDHR), a milestone document in the history of humankind, was put in place on 10 December 1948 at the Palais de Chaillot, Paris, France. And yet, the world has not rid itself of one of the worst forms of human rights violation -  enforced disappearance (ED). As of 2016, the UN has been considering 43,250 outstanding cases of ED in countries, a figure which is below the actual number of cases, many of which have been underreported due to various reasons.

Odhikar : Human Rights Monitoring Report

July 1 – 31, 2017

Extrajudicial killings
Death in jail
Torture, inhuman treatment and lack of accountability of law
enforcement agencies
Enforced disappearances
Public lynching
Political violence
Election Commission and future elections
Hindrance to freedom of assembly
Interference on freedom of expression and the media
Situation of workers’ rights
Indian government’s aggressive policy towards Bangladesh
Violence against Women
Activities of Odhikar hindered

Odhikar believes that democracy is not merely a process of electing a ruler; it is the result of the peoples’ struggle for inalienable rights, which become the fundamental premise to constitute the State. Therefore, the individual freedoms and democratic aspirations of the citizens – and consequently, peoples’ collective rights and responsibilities - must be the foundational principles of the State.

12 Years too long, the Case of Masood Janjua, a Desaparecido

Free  Masood Janjua! Stop torture and injustice!

This had been a battle cry of many Pakistani human rights defenders and human rights organizations all over the world. It has been 12 years of endless search and investigations for the disappeared  Pakistani educator, businessman and philanthropist Masood Janjua. 

AFAD CALLS FOR THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF ARRESTED BANGLADESHI HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER IN MALAYSIA

Press Release
20 July 2017

Authenticated by: Aileen Diez-Bacalso, Secretary General

MALAYSIA Manila—The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) urgently calls on the Malaysian authorities to immediately release recognized human rights lawyer and defender and AFAD Council member, Adilur Rhaman Khan. Khan, 57 was arrested by the Malaysian immigration police at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport ( KLIA) at 4am, Thursday morning (July 20 12AM GST). He was accosted by Malaysian authorities without charges.