- Category: Statements
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.
- Category: Statements
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.
- Category: Statements
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 .
- Category: Statements
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.
- Category: Statements
The 27th Constitutional Amendment (PCA) proposes sweeping changes to Pakistan’s political and institutional framework. It will restructure Article 243 to create a new position for the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), granting the army chief overarching command over all military branches and abolishing the post of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee[1]. The amendment also confers lifetime criminal immunity upon five-star officers, allowing them to retain their rank, privileges, and uniform indefinitely.
- Category: Statements
The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) condemns in the strongest possible terms the decision by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to posthumously declare the late dictator Soeharto a “national hero” on November 10, Heroes Day. This action, taken despite protests from numerous historians, activists, and civil society members, represents a profound betrayal of justice and an alarming descent into historical revisionism.
- Category: Statements
The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) welcomes the landmark step taken by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) of Bangladesh in remanding 15 high-ranking army officers, including five generals, on charges of enforced disappearances committed during the deposed Awami League regime, and for extrajudicial killings and torture linked to the 2024 uprising that toppled the former government. This represents the first time in Bangladesh’s history that formal charges have been brought for enforced disappearances and senior military officials face a civilian court.
- Category: Statements
After the demonstrations held from 25–31 August 2025, AFAD’s member organization in Indonesia, the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), received a surge of reports of missing individuals, particularly from Jakarta and Bandung, the main centers of mass mobilization. In response, on 1 September 2025, KontraS launched a reporting channel for persons who had allegedly disappeared in the context of the protests. Through this channel, a dedicated task force not only collected reports but also worked to verify the whereabouts of those reported missing and to document security force actions that may constitute enforced disappearances.