[Joint Statement] Release Human Rights Defender Adilur Rahman Khan Immediately!
People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy(PSPD) is a member of Solidarity for Democratization movement in Asia(SDMA) together with Odhikar. Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan who was arbitrary arrested and detaned is the Secretary of Odhikar. Below is a joint press statement released by SDMA member organisations calling for Mr. Khan’s immediate release.
Release Human Rights Defender Adilur Rahman Khan Immediately!
Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan, a respected human rights defender, the Secretary of leading human rights organization, Odhikar, and a senior lawyer of the supreme court of Bangladesh was arbitrarily arrested by the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police on the night of August 10, 2013 upon returning home in Dhaka with his family.
His arrest is linked with his recent engagement in the fact report that Odhikar has published in June. The report said that 61 people were brutally killed and many more injured by almost ten thousand members of police force on the night of May 5 2013.
He was arrested under the Information and Communication Technology Act, charging him of misleading people and disseminating “false information” about police crackdown against Hefazat-e-Islan activists in downtown Dhaka.
On August 11 the Chief Metropolitan Court placed him 5 days detention which is called remand in Bangladesh during which he was under police investigation It is highly regarded that he may face torture and other forms of cruel and degrading treatment while in police custody especially remand is synonymous to torture.
At the break of August 12 he was brought to the CMM court. Police did not let his family or lawyers to go near to him. After picking him up at 10:20 PM on August 10, fellow activists and family members tried to file a General Diary at the Gulshan Police station but Officer in Charge, Mr. Pushpa, didn’t take the GD, but confirmed that he was taken by DB police. We came to know police is asking for 10 days remand.
Mr. Adilur has been struggling for eradication of torture, extrajudicial killings, disappearance and other human rights violence, and upholding the rights of minorities in last 25 years. It is also feared that his arrest will have a chilling effect on other human rights defenders and whistle blowers, preventing them from speaking out against state abuses.
We strongly condemn the Bangladeshi government’s attempts to hide its wrongdoings and bring a false allegation against Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan. We urgently demand the government stop victimizing him and release him immediately.
August 12 2013
Solidarity for Democratization Movements in Asia (SDMA)
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Regional Asia
Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID), The Philippines
Institute for Defense Security and Peace Studies (IDSPS), Indonesia
Imparsial, the Indonesian Human Rights Monitor, Indonesia
Odhikar, Bangladesh
People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD), Republic of Korea
The May 18 Memorial Foundation, Republic of Korea
The May 18 Folk Academy 2013
Saima Gull, Centre for Social Policy Development (CSPD), Pakistan
Mansoor Ahmad, Rehabilitation and Development Services for Afghanistan (EDSA), Afghanistan
Bikash Dahal, Martyrs Memorial Foundation, Nepal
Chan Shuk Ching Woman Coalition of HKSAR, Hongkong
Md. Ahsanuzzaman, Odhikar, Bangladesh
Arkar Boh, The 88 Generation Peace and Open Society, Burma
Phone Piay Kywe, All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU), Burma
Ruangrit Pothiprom, Pook Huk Group (The Activist Group for Democracy in Thailand), Thailand
Le Thi Thu Huong, Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (IC-VVAF), Vietam
Kembabazi Lydia Winyi, African Centre For Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (ACTV), Uganda
Tsogzolmaa Tumur, Mongolian Gender Quality (MGEC), Mongolia
Swandaru, Imparsial, the Indonesian Human Rights Monitor, Indonesia
Rayappan Raj Arockiyasamy, SETIK, Sri Lanka
Phanindra Adhikari, Centre for Victims of Torture (CVICT), Nepal
Wong Chin Huat, Writer Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI), Malaysia
Forhad Hossain, Local Education and Economic Development Organization (LEEDO), Bangladesh
Yuliawati, Tempo Magazine (PT Tempo Inti Media Tbk), Indonesia
Bernard Lim (Movement for a Democratic Society)
Patrick Yepe Lombaia, Papua New Guinea Mining Watch Group Association INC., Papua New Guinea
Okisai Cleophas, Teso Peace and Human Rights Development Initiative, Kenya
Nir Oren, Israeli-Palestine Bereaved Families for Peace, Israel
Ajit Kumar Panda, VIKASH, India
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