- Category: Statements
Dear All,
I am writing to tell you about what I feel when (24 Jestha) June comes along, what I have been going through for the last 17 years and experienced seeking justice. Once again, I am calling for your continuous support, not to let the justice system in the country collapse because an innocent child is killed and their parents need to die while seeking justice.
- Category: IDD-AFAD-MO
Philippines (24th to 30th May, 2021): The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) commemorates the International Week of the Disappeared, 2021 in solidarity with families of the disappeared searching for truth and justice. The struggle is made more arduous by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The enforcement of measures like lockdowns, self-quarantine, and prohibitions of public gatherings to prevent the spread of the virus has also led to further shrinking of an already limited civic space for freedom of expression, assembly, and association.
- Category: Statements
A Joint Statement by the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Mayer Daak, and Odhikar on the occasion of International Week of the Disappeared 2021
Dhaka/Manila/Paris, 25 May 2021: Every year, advocates against enforced disappearance commemorate the International Week of the Disappeared on the last week of May. This week, AFAD, FIDH, Mayer Daak, and Odhikar join the global community in remembering those who have been forcibly disappeared and call upon the government of Bangladesh to return all disappeared persons to their families and ensure justice for the victims. The denial by the Bangladeshi authorities of their continued practice of enforced disappearance - particularly targeting political opposition activists and dissidents - and their unwillingness to take any action to address this serious crime deserves condemnation.
- Category: Statements
Odhikar’s Statement on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day 2021
3 May is World Press Freedom Day, as recognised by the United Nations. This year’s theme for World Press Freedom Day, “Information as a Public Good”, serves as a call to affirm the importance of cherishing reliable information as a public good. However, while this day is being commemorated all over the world, the freedom of the media has been severely endangered and threatened by disrupting the free flow of information and authentic and objective news distribution in Bangladesh...
- Category: Statements
The human rights community of Nepal welcomes the recent statement by the independent human rights experts of the United Nations dated 27 April 2021 strongly urging the Nepal Government to rectify the appointments of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) commissioners which were made contrary to the Principles relating to the Status of National Institutions (The Paris Principles). The experts said they were “deeply concerned that the appointment process is not in line with international standards and that it undermines the independence, integrity and legitimacy of the NHRC, which restricts the ability of the people of Nepal to access appropriate remedies for alleged human rights violations."
- Category: Open Letters
03 May 2021
H.E. Michelle Bachelet
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Palais Wilson
52 rue des Pâquis
CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland
RE: Crackdown on Press Freedom & Freedom of Expression in Bangladesh
Dear High Commissioner Bachelet,
On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, we write to draw your attention to the escalating human rights violations perpetrated by the Bangladesh government, exemplified in part by the increasing crackdown on press freedom and the freedom of expression of journalists, activists, and dissidents.
- Category: Statements
JOINT STATEMENT
The Bangladeshi authorities must conduct prompt, thorough, impartial, and independent investigations into the death of at least 14 protesters across the country between 26 and 28 March, and respect the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, said 11 human rights organizations in a joint statement today. The organizations also called on the international community to urge Bangladeshi authorities to put an end to the practice of torturing and forcibly disappearingopposition activists.
Between 20 and 26 March 2021, police and members of ruling party Awami League attacked a series of protests across the country organized by different political and civil society groups, beat up and injured hundreds of largely peaceful protesters, according to local media reports.
- Category: Statements
The Bangladeshi authorities must end their escalating crackdown on human rights, and respect and protect people’s rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in Bangladesh to curb protesters demanding justice for writer Mushtaq Ahmed’s death in prison on 25 February, the nine undersigned human rights organizations said in a joint statement today