BANGLADESH: Government must comply with its obligations to uphold the absolute prohibition of torture and other ill treatment, end impunity and ensure access to justice for victims

A Joint Statement by Amnesty International, Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN), Asia Alliance Against Torture (A3T), Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD), Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Capital Punishment Justice Project (CPJP), CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Eleos Justice, Monash University, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Odhikar, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, and World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) on the occasion of International Day in Support of Victims of Torture 2024

Bangkok/ Dhaka/ Geneva/ Jakarta/ Johannesburg/ Kuala Lumpur/ London/ Manila/ Melbourne/ Paris/ Washington DC: 25 June 2024: On the occasion of the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on 26 June, we, the undersigned organisations, are gravely concerned over the continuing acts of torture and other ill-treatment committed by law-enforcement agencies and security forces in Bangladesh, and the lack of access to comprehensive rehabilitation services including medical, psychological, legal, and social support for torture victims. Under the theme for this year’s International Day, “Freedom from torture is our right”, we stand together in solidarity with victims of torture and other ill-treatment, their families, and the human rights defenders who speak out on their behalf, and call on the Bangladeshi authorities to stop torture and other ill-treatment, hold perpetrators accountable and ensure access to justice.

Pakistan: INTERNATIONAL WEEK OF THE DISAPPEARED 2024

International Week of the Disappeared 2024: Tribute to the struggles of victims’ family in finding truth and justice for their forcibly disappeared loved ones

Islamabad, Pakistan: As we mark the International Week of the Disappeared in 2024, Defence of Human Rights (DHR) Pakistan stands in solidarity with the countless victims and their families who continue to endure the agony of enforced disappearances. This week serves as a somber reminder of the ongoing human rights violations that persist in our society and the urgent need for justice, accountability, and reform.

Enforced disappearances in Pakistan have a long and troubling history. Since the early 2000s, particularly during Pakistan’s involvement in the US-led 'war on terror,' the practice has become more pervasive. Security agencies have been implicated in the abduction and secret detention of individuals suspected of terrorism or deemed a threat to national security. These actions have been justified under the guise of maintaining national security but have often targeted political dissenters and marginalized communities.

BANGLADESH: Government must halt enforced disappearances, hold perpetrators accountable, and ensure access to justice for victims

A Joint Statement byAsian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD), Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), International Coalition against Enforced Disappearances (ICAED), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Maayer Daak and Odhikar Odhikar on the occasion of International Week of the Disappeared 2024

Bangkok/Dhaka/Geneva/Manila/Paris; 27 May 2024: We, the undersigned organisations, are deeply alarmed by the ongoing commission of enforced disappearances in Bangladesh and the inability of victims to access justice. We also express serious concerns regarding the plight of the victims, the impunity of security forces, and the lack of due process and judicial safeguards for victims and their families.

Promotion of the Convention: Regional Trends in Asia

Paper / Presentation of Joey Faustino, Secretary General Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) World Congress on Enforced Disappearance - Asian Consultation

Good afternoon from the headquarters of AFAD in Manila. (Backgrounder) The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) was organized in 1998. Along with representatives from Latin America, Africa and Europe, AFAD became part of the inter-continental forum against involuntary disappearances in April 2000. The group presented the global phenomenon of involuntary disappearances at the halls of the United Nations during the 57th session of the *United Nations Commission on Human Rights. (*later replaced by the UN Human Rights Council in 2006)