Mass forced evictions are also often linked to climate and environmental harms. In Lahore, the state has forcibly acquired tens of thousands of acres of farmland and replaced it with concrete structures, which exacerbate soil erosion and flooding, and magnify extreme heat. In 2020, after torrential rains caused widespread urban flooding in Karachi, municipal authorities blamed informal settlements for blocking stormwater channels, and demolished thousands of homes ostensibly to prevent future
"I Escaped with Only My Life": Abusive Forced Evictions in Pakistan hrw.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from hrw.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The 39-page report, “‘If We Raise Our Voice They Arrest Us’: Sri Lanka’s Proposed Truth and Reconciliation Commission,” documents abusive security force surveillance and intimidation of activists and campaigners from minority Tamil families of those who “disappeared” during Sri Lanka’s civil war. The authorities are using draconian counterterrorism laws to silence dissenting voices, including those calling for truth and accountability, while government-backed land grabs target Tamil and Muslim communities and their places of worship.
The 101-page report, “Japan’s ‘Hostage Justice’ System,” documents the abusive treatment of criminal suspects in pretrial detention. The authorities strip suspects of their right to remain silent, question them without a lawyer, coerce them to confess through repeated arrests and denial of bail, and detain them for prolonged periods under constant surveillance in police stations. The Japanese government should urgently undertake wide-ranging reforms, including amending the criminal procedure code, to ensure detainees their fair trial rights and make investigators and prosecutors more accountable.
The 55-page report, “A Nightmare for Everyone: The Health Care Crisis in Pakistan’s Prisons,” documents widespread deficiencies in prison health care in Pakistan and the consequences for a total prison population of more than 88,000 people. Pakistan has one of the world’s most overcrowded prison systems, with cells designed for a maximum of 3 people holding up to 15. Severe overcrowding has compounded existing health care deficiencies, leaving inmates vulnerable to communicable diseases and unable to get medicines and treatment for even basic health needs, as well as emergencies.