Asia
We work alongside local and international organizations and human rights defenders to protect civic space and promote accountability for serious human rights violations in South and South East Asia. From advocating for freedom of expression and the right to protest to an end to the use of torture, enforced disappearance, and arbitrary detention, we support international justice efforts.
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Letter to the U.N. Secretary-General in Advance of His Visit to Bangladesh
Tags Share His Excellency António Guterres Secretary-General of the United Nations Dear Secretary-General: As human rights organizations, we write to respectfully urge you to do everything in your power to provide U.N. support to Bangladesh during this critical period in the country’s political transition. Bangladesh is now undergoing unprecedented changes following widespread protests that led to
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The Daily Star: Digital law Reforms Hasty, Lack Transparency
Tags Share The Daily Star has reported that six international human rights organizations have raised concerns over Bangladesh’s proposed Cyber Protection Ordinance, 2025, and Personal Data Protection Ordinance, 2025, citing a lack of transparency and stakeholder consultation. In a joint statement, groups including Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and Human Rights Watch warned that the
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The Business Standard: Bangladesh’s New Digital Laws Under Scrutiny
Tags Share The Business Standard has reported that human rights organizations are raising concerns over Bangladesh’s fast-tracked digital law reforms, warning that the public has been excluded from the process. Groups, including RFK Human Rights, have criticized the lack of transparency, particularly regarding amendments to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulation Act, which could enable internet shutdowns
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Joint Statement on Emerging Digital Laws in Bangladesh
Tags Share Bangladesh is undergoing a significant transitional phase, marked by wide-ranging systemic and structural transformations, including legislative reforms to cybersecurity and data protection statutes. Acknowledging the timely and necessary efforts of the Interim Government of Bangladesh to reform digital governance policies and regulatory frameworks, we, the undersigned organizations, remain concerned that these initiatives are
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Voice of America: Bangladeshi families look to commission for answers on enforced disappearances
Tags Share With the Bangladeshi interim government’s announcement of a new commission to investigate enforced disappearances during the former Prime Minister’s term, families hope they can finally find closure and seek justice. Over the course of PM Sheikh Hasina’s 15 years in power, more than 700 people went missing with dozens still not found. The
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Bangladesh: Brutal Crackdowns on Student Protesters Resulting in Fatalities Warrant Accountability
Tags Share [19 July 2024] The undersigned human rights organizations express our serious concerns over ongoing, brutal crackdowns on protesters in Bangladesh by law enforcement agencies, security forces, and members of the ruling party. Students across the country are protesting against a system of quotas in the recruitment of public servants. The government of Bangladesh
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Bangladesh: Government must comply with its obligations to uphold the absolute prohibition of torture and other ill treatment, end impunity and ensure access to justice for victims
Tags Share Bangkok/ Dhaka/ Geneva/ Johannesburg/ Kuala Lumpur/ London/ Manila/ Melbourne/ Paris/Washington DC: 25 June 2024: On the occasion of the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on 26 June, we, the undersigned organisations, are gravely concerned over the continuing acts of torture and other ill-treatment committed by law-enforcement agencies and
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Alexei Navalny Wrote Letters to Kerry Kennedy: An Interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper
Tags Share Alexei A. Navalny, Russian opposition leader and activist, was killed in the remote Russian prison known as Polar Wolf on February 16th. Throughout his life, he stood bravely against oppression and corruption, and the letters he sent from prison were another example of his continued resistance and courage. On February 20, Kerry Kennedy
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Alexey Navalny Wrote Letters to Kerry Kennedy
Tags Share “He was the Mandela of Russia. He carried forth the vision of accountability…and free expression.” Speaking with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, our president Kerry Kennedy reflects on the life and legacy of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny. Noting Mr. Navalny’s leadership in bolstering civic space, Kerry urges the U.S. – and the world –
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Inside Aleksei Navalny’s Final Months, in His Own Words
Tags Share In the final months of his life, Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny found solace in the words of Robert F. Kennedy and the reminder that a “ripple of hope” can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance. Read more about Mr. Navalny’s legacy as a human rights leader, and his correspondence
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The Business of Human Rights and Protections Abroad
Tags Share “We need to protect the journalists,” pleaded Mikhail Gershkovich, father of detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich who was arrested by Russia’s Federal Security Service on March 30, 2023, while on assignment. While his detention has been condemned by news organizations, human rights groups, and the Biden administration, Gershkovich has yet to
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Bangladesh: Odhikar published its Annual Human Rights Report 2023
Tags Share Despite the continuous harassment imposed by the Bangladesh Government, Odhikar published its Annual Human Rights Report 2023. The report documents the human rights situation in the country, based on information collected by human rights defenders, data published in the media and is based on international human rights instruments and standards. Read the report.
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