- Category: Statements
February 7th, 2017 – Ten years ago today, the text of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which had been adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 December 2006, finally opened for signature on 6 February 2007. During the signing ceremony, 57 states signed.
- Category: Statements
Manila, 1 February 2017 – Since the beginning of 2017, a new wave of enforced disappearances has been affecting Pakistan. According to local media, only in the first week of the month 4 activists have reportedly disappeared: Waqas Goraya and Asim Saeed (January 4, 2017); Salman Haider (January 6, 2017) and Ahmad Raza Naseer (January 7, 2017).
- Category: Statements
Year 2017 starts with a fresh wave of disappearance in Pakistan. At least Four activist from different part of the country have been reported gone missing in first week of January 2017. It clearly shows zero tolerance policy of the government of Pakistan for human rights activists, Journalists and any other outspoken professionals.
- Category: Statements
Manila, 15 December 2016 – Today marks the 4th anniversary of the disappearance of Sombath Somphone, a community development worker in Laos and recipient of the distinguished Ramon Magsaysay Award for emergent leadership..
- Category: Statements
MANILA, 10 December 2016 - On this day, the 68th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) pays tribute to all human rights defenders (HRDs) in the world.
While disrespect for basic human rights continues to increase and victims in all parts of the globe are still fighting for truth and justice, today, in commemorating Human Rights Day, the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) acknowledges and recognizes the fundamental work carried out by human rights defenders everywhere - particularly in SouthEast and South Asia.
- Category: Statements
5 December 2016
We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, express serious concern over the rapid efforts by members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines to adopt a bill restoring the death penalty in the country.
On 29 November 2016, the Sub-Committee on Judicial Reforms of the House Committee on Justice, which is chaired by Congressman Marcelino “Ching” Veloso, approved a bill restoring the death penalty in the Philippines by railroading the proceedings in the committee and ignoring important questions from other lawmakers questioning the need for the legislation or its urgent passage.
- Category: Statements
Khurram Parvez, chairperson of the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD), was ordered to be released by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Friday, November 25. Parvez has been in detention under the Preventive Detention clause of the Public Safety Act of 1978 for more than two months. The ruling came after said Court gave the Indian government several chances to provide substantiating evidence for their complaint against Parvez, but to no avail. The Court ruled that the detention was “illegal” due to its continued failure to clarify the basis for the allegations against Parvez. Similarly, the Court declared that the “detaining authority has abused its powers.”
- Category: Statements
Today the case of Khurram Parvez, AFAD Chairperson, will be reviewed again in front of the High Court of J&K.
On this occasion, the human rights defenders participating in the 7th Asian Human Rights Forum in Sri Lanka, call for Parvez’s immediate release, and for the charges against him to be dismissed.