AFAD 25 Years Video Teaser

This AFAD video teaser is an opening salvo of the yearlong campaign and fight Against Enforced Disappearances and for the Protection, not Persecution, of Human Rights Defenders, across Asia.

a continuing crime
a disappearing act

What's Happening

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.

 

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...

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."

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.

The Federation

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