Arbitrary arrest of prominent human rights defender Adilur Rahman Khan

Arbitrary arrest /

Harassment

Malaysia

July 20, 2017

The Observatory for the Protection ofHuman Rights Defenders, a partnership of the World Organisation Against Torture(OMCT) and FIDH, requests your URGENT intervention in the following situationin Malaysia.

Brief description of the information:

The Observatory has been informed withgreat concern about the arbitrary arrest in Kuala Lumpur of Mr. Adilur RahmanKhan, Secretary of the human rights non-governmentalorganisation Odhikar, inBangladesh[1],also a member of OMCT General Assembly and FIDH Vice-President.

According to the information received, on July 20, 2017, at about 4.00 am, Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan was detained by immigration officers uponhis arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. No reason was given for hisdetention.

Mr. Rahman Khan was travelling to Malaysia to attend the NationalConference on Death Penalty organised by the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network(ADPAN) from July 21 to 22, 2017 in Kuala Lumpur.

The Observatory strongly condemns Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan’sarbitrary arrest, and calls upon the Malaysian authorities to release himimmediately and unconditionally, as well as to guarantee in all circumstanceshis physical and psychological integrity.

Actions requested:

Please write to the authorities in Malaysia,urging them to:

i.Guarantee, in all circumstances, the physical and psychological integrity ofMr. Adilur Rahman Khan, as well as of all human rights defenders in Malaysia;

ii. Release Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan immediately andunconditionally as his detention is arbitrary since it only aims atsanctioning his human rights activities;

iii.Put an end to any kind of harassment - including at the judicial level -against Mr. Adilur Rahman Khan as well as all human rights defenders in Malaysia;

iv.Ensure in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Malaysia areable to carry out their legitimate activities without any hindrance and fear ofreprisals;

v.Conform with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders,adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998,especially its Articles 1 and12.2;

vi.Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedomsin accordance with international human rights standards and internationalinstruments ratified by Malaysia.

Addresses:

· Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak,Prime Minister of Malaysia, Fax: +60 3 8888 3444, Email: ppm@pmo.gov.my

· Mr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Minister of HomeAffairs of Malaysia, Fax: +60 3 8889 1613 / +60 3 8889 1610, Email: ahmadzahid@moha.gov.my

· Attorney General of Malaysia, Tan SriMohamed Apandi Ali, Fax: +603 8890 5670 Email: pro@agc.gov.my

· Tan Sri Razali Bin Ismail, Chairman of theHuman Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), Fax: +60 3 2612 5620,Email: humanrights@suhakam.org.my; hasmyagam@suhakam.org.my

· H.E. Mr. Amran Mohamed Zin, Ambassador,Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations in Geneva,Switzerland. Fax: +41 22 710 75 01, Email: malgeneva@kln.gov.my

· Embassy of Malaysia in Brussels, Belgium,Fax: +32 2 762 50 49, Email: malbrussels@kln.gov.my

Please also write to the diplomaticmissions or embassies of Malaysia in your respective country as well as to theEU diplomatic missions or embassies in Malaysia.

***

Geneva-Paris, July 20, 2017

Kindly inform us of any action undertakenquoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

The Observatory for the Protectionof Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 by the WorldOrganisation Against Torture (OMCT) and FIDH. The objective of this programmeis to intervene to prevent or remedy situations of repression against humanrights defenders. OMCT and FIDH are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the EuropeanUnion Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by international civilsociety.

To contact the Observatory, call the emergencyline:

· E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org

· Teland fax OMCT + 41 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22 809 49 29

· Teland fax FIDH + 33 1 43 55 25 18 / +33 1 43 55 18 80

[1] Odhikaris a prominent human rights NGO that since its inception in 1994 has beenshowing its commitments towards the universality of human rights. Activities ofOdhikar include reporting, advocacy and fact-finding activities on violationsconsidered “sensitive” - such as disappearances, torture, political violence,etc.