51st regular session of the UN Human Rights Council Item 2: Enhanced interactive dialogue on the on the situation of human rights of women and girls in Afghanistan   Delivered by Horia Mosadiq On behalf of Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)  13 September 2022   [ Read more ]

An initiative of ProtectDefenders.eu, the EU Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by international civil society Human rights defenders have the right to carry out their legitimate work safely and to access support and protection when they are at risk, especially those who operate in the most difficult contexts. Their right to defend rights has been [ Read more ]

We, the undersigned civil society organizations, stand in solidarity with Mongolian human rights defender Sukhgerel Dugersuren and strongly condemn the criminalization and smear campaigns against her, which we identify as an attempt to prevent her from conducting her crucial work in defense of human rights and the environment. We urge the Mongolian government to ensure [ Read more ]

For immediate release 17 August 2022, Bangkok Reflecting on one year takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban on 15 August 2021, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Safety and Risk Mitigation Organization (SRMO), and Afghanistan Human Rights Coordination Mechanism (AHRCM) organised a webinar to discuss the situation of human rights and human [ Read more ]

The joint European Union (EU)-India press release, which provides a summary of the topics  discussed during the 10th EU-India human rights dialogue which took place on 15 July 2022 in New Delhi, fails to adequately address pressing issues of security and reprisals faced by human rights defenders in India, five human rights organizations said today. [ Read more ]

Five human rights organizations strongly condemned the brutal attack against unarmed peaceful protesters by Sri Lankan forces in Colombo on in the early hours of 22 July 2022 . Since March 2022, thousands of people including human rights defenders, journalists, and members of civil society have been protesting peacefully across the country against the government’s [ Read more ]

For the PDF version of this publication, click here ** As human rights defenders (HRDs) of Asia work relentlessly to advance and uphold human rights in the region, they also face strong backlash and harassment from both State and non-State actors. On 8 March 2022, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), with [ Read more ]

Seven human rights organizations expressed concerns about the deteriorating health of activist and Delhi University professor Gokarakonda Naga Saibaba in Nagpur Central Jail, Maharashtra State, and called on the Indian authorities to provide urgent access to health care. G.N. Saibaba was initially arrested in 2014 and accused of links to banned Maoist organisations. In March [ Read more ]

The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, FIDH and World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) in the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Frontline Defenders strictly condemn the arbitrary cancellation of the registration of Odhikar, by the Bangladesh government. The NGO Affairs Bureau (NGOAB) [ Read more ]

Abolish Slave Compounds in Cambodia 10 March 2022 We are deeply disturbed by reports of widespread human trafficking into Cambodia leading to forced labour, slavery and torture at compounds across the country. Dozens of media reports and numerous victim accounts collected by local and international organisations suggest that thousands of people, mostly foreign nationals, are [ Read more ]