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Press Releases
India: Time to Deliver Justice for Atrocities in Punjab
October 18, 2007
The Indian government must take concrete steps to hold accountable members of its security forces who killed, "disappeared," and tortured thousands of Sikhs during its counterinsurgency campaign in Punjab, Human Rights Watch and Ensaaf said in a new report released today.
Khalra Murder Case: High Court Upholds Convictions of Five Police Officers; Acquits One Officer
October 8, 2007
A division bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued an oral judgment in the appeals relating to the convictions of six police officers for their roles in the abduction and murder of human rights defender Jaswant Singh Khalra. The High Court upheld the convictions of Punjab police officers Jaspal Singh, Satnam Singh, Surinderpal Singh, Pritpal Singh, and Jasbir Singh, and acquitted Amarjit Singh of all charges.
Anniversary of the Abduction of Jaswant Singh Khalra: Twelve Years On, KPS Gill Still Free
September 6, 2007
Twelve years ago, on September 6, 1995, the Punjab Police abducted human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. The police held Khalra in illegal detention for almost two months, tortured him, and murdered him in late October 1995.
PHR Responds to Indian National Human Rights Commission in Punjab Case
December 15, 2006
Physicians for Human Rights and Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture issued a letter in response to the NHRC's order rejecting its independent report and attacking its credibility.
Ensaaf Kicks Off Year-End Giving Campaign, Launches New Website
November 16, 2006
Ensaaf has launched a new website that makes it even easier to contribute to the movement for truth and justice for victims of gross human rights violations in Punjab, India.
High Court Case Filed Against Former Police Chief KPS Gill for Murder of Human Rights Activist Jaswant Singh Khalra
September 6, 2006
Mrs. Khalra, represented by High Court attorney Rajvinder Bains, filed the petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) refused to investigate and prosecute Mr. Gill. Ensaaf worked with Mr. Bains to draft the petition and apply the international law doctrine of superior responsibility.
Khalra’s Last International Speech Highlights Mass Crimes of KPS Gill
August 30, 2006
In his last speech made to a Canadian audience, released today with subtitles by Ensaaf, Jaswant Singh Khalra discusses his investigations into the disappearances and his readiness to die to expose the truth about these crimes.
The Twelve Year Cover-Up: Disappearance of Human Rights Attorney Sukhwinder Singh Bhatti
May 12, 2006
Ensaaf submitted a communication to the UN Special Representative on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders. Relying on court papers and interviews with Mr. Bhatti's wife Harcharanjit Kaur Bhatti, the communication provides a detailed summary of Mr. Bhatti's case and identifies key perpetrators.
International Human Rights Groups Call for Prosecution of Gill for Murder of Khalra
May 1, 2006
Given the weight of the evidence available in the public domain about Mr. Gill's role in this case, the CBI must undertake an impartial and thorough inquiry as soon as possible and then refer the case for appropriate prosecution.
Punjab Cops Convicted of 1995 Murder of Activist Khalra
November 18, 2005
On Friday, November 18, 2005, Additional District Judge Bhupinder Singh in Patiala convicted six Punjab police officials in the 1995 abduction and murder case of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.
Expert Medical Study Documents Torture and Psychological Trauma Suffered by Families of the “Disappeared” in Punjab
October 24, 2005
A six-member PHR/Bellevue investigative team with extensive experience in documenting torture and human rights abuses conducted this study in Amritsar, Punjab in May and June 2005 at the request of Ensaaf.
Punjab Police: Fabricating Terrorism through Illegal Detention and Torture
October 5, 2005
In August and September 2005, documented 28 cases of detention of Punjabis accused of militancy-related activities. Its study reveals that, in contravention of international and domestic laws, Indian security forces routinely resorted to illegal and incommunicado detention. Further, the Punjab police frequently tortured the detainees.
10th Anniversary of Abduction, Torture, & Murder of Human Rights Defender Jaswant Singh Khalra: Human Rights Groups Send Joint Letter to Congress
September 6, 2005
On September 6, 2005, Ensaaf, Human Rights Watch and the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at New York University School of Law sent a joint letter and background packet to the Congressional Human Rights Caucus urging it hold hearings into these “disappearances” and killings and urge the Indian government to comply with its obligations under international law to provide justice and redress to the victims of human rights violations committed by its security forces.
India: 20 Years of Impunity for Sikh Massacres Must End
November 2, 2004
On the twentieth anniversary of the systematic massacres of Sikhs throughout India, human rights organizations call for a full account of the atrocities and a sustained effort to prosecute its planners and perpetrators.
Twenty Years of Impunity: The November 1984 Massacres of Sikhs in India
June 29, 2004
Ensaaf releases its first report Twenty Years of Impunity: The November 1984 Pogroms of Sikhs in India. This in-depth 150-page report analyzes thousands of pages of previously unavailable affidavits, government records and arguments submitted to the 1985 Misra Commission, established to examine the Sikh Massacres in Delhi, Kanpur, and Bokaro.
New Organization Enforces Human Rights and Fights Impunity in India
April 28, 2004
Ensaaf—a new U.S.-based organization launched to enforce human rights and fight impunity in India—works with survivors to engage in advocacy and outreach, documents violations, and educates the public about human rights abuses in India.
