Pakistan
15.01.01
Urgent Interventions
Pakistan: Arrest and detention
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
PAK 001 / 0101 / OBS 006
Arrest and detention
Pakistan
15 January 2001
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Pakistan.
Brief description of the situation
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders has been informed by the Asian Center for the Progress of Peoples (ACPP) of the arrest of Fr. Arnold Heredia (60), former Executive Secretary of the Committee for Justice & Peace Karachi, on 10 January 2001.
According to the information received, at 4 pm in Karachi, on 10 January 2001, he was arrested among 17 other protestors who were taking part in an anti-“Blasphemy Laws” protest held under the auspices of the All Faith Spiritual Movement in Karachi. At the time of writing, according to the information, an application for their release on bail has not been accepted. The lower court has ordered a physical remand of the detainees until January 16th 2001.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities of Pakistan urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Fr. Arnold Heredia and order his immediate release in the absence of valid charges;
ii. ensure the application of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly of the UN on December 9th 1998, especially with respect to the protection of the right of all persons, "...individually or in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels" (Art.1.) as well as the duty of the State to ensure “the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure, adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration" (Art.12.2);
iii. ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards.
Addresses
H.E. Pervaiz Musharaf, Chief Executive of Pakistan, Chief Executive's Secretariat, Islamabad, Pakistan, Fax: 92-51-927 0205, E-mail: ce@pak.gov.pk
Gen. (R) Moin Uddin Haider, The Interior Minister, Islamabad, Pakistan, Fax: 92-51-9202642
Mian Mohammad Sumro, Governor of Sindh, Governor House, Karachi, Pakistan, Fax: 92-21-9201218
The Diplomatic Representatives of Pakistan in your country.
Geneva-Paris, 15 January 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line: Fax: + 033 (0) 1 55 80 83 92
Tel: FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT +41 22 809 49 39
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch
PAK 001 / 0101 / OBS 006
Arrest and detention
Pakistan
15 January 2001
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Pakistan.
Brief description of the situation
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders has been informed by the Asian Center for the Progress of Peoples (ACPP) of the arrest of Fr. Arnold Heredia (60), former Executive Secretary of the Committee for Justice & Peace Karachi, on 10 January 2001.
According to the information received, at 4 pm in Karachi, on 10 January 2001, he was arrested among 17 other protestors who were taking part in an anti-“Blasphemy Laws” protest held under the auspices of the All Faith Spiritual Movement in Karachi. At the time of writing, according to the information, an application for their release on bail has not been accepted. The lower court has ordered a physical remand of the detainees until January 16th 2001.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities of Pakistan urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Fr. Arnold Heredia and order his immediate release in the absence of valid charges;
ii. ensure the application of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly of the UN on December 9th 1998, especially with respect to the protection of the right of all persons, "...individually or in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels" (Art.1.) as well as the duty of the State to ensure “the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure, adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration" (Art.12.2);
iii. ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards.
Addresses
H.E. Pervaiz Musharaf, Chief Executive of Pakistan, Chief Executive's Secretariat, Islamabad, Pakistan, Fax: 92-51-927 0205, E-mail: ce@pak.gov.pk
Gen. (R) Moin Uddin Haider, The Interior Minister, Islamabad, Pakistan, Fax: 92-51-9202642
Mian Mohammad Sumro, Governor of Sindh, Governor House, Karachi, Pakistan, Fax: 92-21-9201218
The Diplomatic Representatives of Pakistan in your country.
Geneva-Paris, 15 January 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line: Fax: + 033 (0) 1 55 80 83 92
Tel: FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT +41 22 809 49 39
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch