WHO WE ARE 
In early eighties, a group of lawyers, committed to the work
of human rights formed a loose group in order to defend the victims
of State Repression. Later on, in 1992 when the Punjab police
and the security agencies who were operating in Punjab, started
a campaign to harass and kill the human rights defenders and the
group started sufferring losses, the group formally organised
themselves under the name and style of "LAWYERS FOR HUMAN
RIGHTS", which later on came to be known as "LAWYERS
FOR HUMAN RIGHTS INTERNATIONAL". The organisation which initially
was formulated for protection of the lawyers themselves, later
on proved to be an effective protector of human rights for the
people.
Provision of free legal aid to the poor and indigent persons,
strive to eradicate human rights abuses, filing of Public Interest
Litigation on various human rights issues and undertaking projects
for creating awareness about human rights among general public,
are among the many aims and objects of the organisation. The founder
members of the body, Mr.Amar Singh Chahal, Mr.Navkiran Singh,
Mr.Rajvinder Singh Bains, Mr.Brijinder Singh Sodhi, Mr.V.P.S.
Bhatia, Mr. Arunjeev Singh Walia, Mr.Tejinder Singh Sudan, earned
a reputation with their dedicated and sincere efforts. At present
the organisation is having more than a hundred members and also
have district units at eight district headquarters of Punjab and
Chandigarh with more than a dozen members in each district unit.
The organisation is fighting cases of human rights violations,
including custodial violence by the state agencies, domestic violence,
sexual abuses against women, prisoners rights in the Supreme Court,
Punjab & Haryana High Court, National Human Rights Commission,
Punjab State Human Rights Commission and also in Subordinate Courts.
To eradicate the evil of torture from every Police Station in
Punjab and Chandigarh, and to fight State repression, its members
have succeeded in bringing to book down many senior police officials
who were guilty of committing excesses. In this ongoing struggle,
they suffered colossal loss with six of its member lawyers, namely
Ranbir Singh Mansahia(Bathinda), Jagwinder Singh alias Happy(Kapurthala),
Sukhwinder Singh Bhatti(Sangrur), Kulwant Singh,his wife and four
year old son(Ropar), Satnam Singh(Jammu),and Dharamvir Singh(Amritsar)
being abducted and killed. Also a battery of human rights activists
including Jaswant Singh Khalra,Avtar Singh Mander and Ram Singh
Billing(both journalists) losing their lives at the hands of Punjab
police.
Office Bearers of Governing Body
Units in Punjab.
Units in Haryana.
Links with other Indian Human Rights Organisations.
Links with International human rights bodies.
A I M S A N D O B J E C T I V E S
Provision of free legal aid to the poor and indigent persons,
launch campaign to eradicate human rights abuses, filing of Public
Interest Litigation on various human rights issues and undertaking
educational projects for spreading awareness about human rights
among general public, are among the many aims and objects of the
organisation.
To unite lawyers and human rights activists for educating and
protecting human rights among the people, the organisation consisting
of only lawyers, has avowed to protect the human rights of the
citizens through legal means and to uphold the Rule of Law.
A C T I V I T I E S
- LFHRI is filing cases of human rights violations, including
custodial violence by the state agencies, domestic violence,
and sexual abuses against women, prisoner’s rights in
different courts like, the Supreme Court of India, Punjab and
Haryana High Court, National Human Rights Commission, Punjab
State Human Rights Commission and also in Subordinate Courts.
- Contributing in its own way to fight custodial torture, the
LFHRI has started a campaign to stamp out torture from every
Police Station in Punjab and Chandigarh, and to nail every police
officer responsible for using third degree methods upon any
person, it has succeeded to a large extent, in bringing to book
many senior and subordinate police officials guilty of human
rights violations.
- LFHRI conducts investigation into the cases of human rights
violations and monitors periodically the overall human rights
situation in Punjab. It has investigated into many cases of
custodial deaths and torture in Punjab during the last more
over a decade and is zealously continuing with their efforts.
- LFHRI has also established a free legal aid unit in every
district headquarters with competent lawyers having good standing
in criminal law. They provide free legal aid to the poor and
indigent persons in the Subordinate Courts as well as High Court.
- LFHRI has also undertaken educational campaigns to educate
general public about their rights and obligations of the State
agencies in protecting and respecting the human rights of the
people. It regularly publishes handbills, booklets and other
publicity material for spreading human rights education among
the people. It also organises seminars, rallies and processions
to mark World Human Rights Day and against incidents of human
rights violations concerning minorities in India and other events
related to human rights situation in India.
- The organisation has recently started a campaign seeking abolition
of death penalty from Indian statutes, as the organisation feels
that the same is being mis-used in India after Independence
against minorities and depressed classes, besides being inhuman,cruel
and degrading to human life.
P U B L I C A T I O N S
LFHRI publications are periodically distributed
free of charge to general public, non-governmental organisations
and communities in India and abroad who can use them to exercise
their human rights and promote human rights education. Prominent
publications of the organisation are:
- “WAILS OF INJUSTICE”. It exposes
the dubious role of Central Bureau of Investigation and the
indifferent attitude of the law courts in Punjab (India) dealing
with cases of human rights violations in Punjab.
- Compilation of Custodial deaths in Punjab
during 1997-June 2001.
- “GENESIS OF STATE TERRORISM IN PUNJAB”
.It speaks volume of atrocities committed on innocent people
in Punjab by the State agencies. This publication has undoubtedly
added feather to its cap.
- "PUNJAB AT WAR WITH HUMAN RIGHTS"-comprehensive
study of human right situation in Punjab during 2001.
- "COMPILATION OF INVESTIGATION REPORTS OF LAWYERS
FOR HUMAN RIGHTS INTERNATIONAL".
- "KNOW YOUR RIGHTS".
A C H I E V E M E N T S
While violation of human rights in different forms exist everywhere,
Lawyers For Human Rights International has made substantial gains
over the past decade in guaranteeing constitutional protections
for people living in Punjab (India) in all areas of our society.
The LFHRI as the people’s advocate before law courts, and
in educating the public about crucial human rights issues--- has
given a hope to millions of Indians and strengthened people’s
faith in the Rule of Law. The accomplishments described below
were realized through the organisation’s network of more
than hundred of human rights activists and members of the organisation.
These matters are but a handful of the many accomplishments the
LFHRI has forged over the past decade on behalf of hundreds of
thousands of Indians.
Our deep gratitude extends to all of our lawyer members as well
as many individuals and institutions that provide moral support
to the LFHRI.
- LFHRI has succeeded in bringing to book many police officers
into dock for human rights violations committed by them, after
the report of investigations into human rights violations having
being relied upon by the Courts.
- LFHRI has filed cases on behalf of victims of State repression
in Punjab in the Supreme Court of India, Punjab & Haryana
High Court, and Punjab State Human Rights Commission and subordinate
Courts and got compensations, indictments against guilty police
men and conducted trial on behalf of the victim’s families
on pro-bono basis.
- LFHRI organised many seminars, rallies and public awareness
functions for promoting human rights among the general public.
- LFHRI represented in the World Conference against Racism,
Racial discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerances held
in Durban from 31st August to 7th September, 2001.
- LFHRI has succeeded in checking the incidents of Police torture
in Custody in Police Stations. It has launched a campaign to
remove all the torture instruments kept in Police Stations in
Punjab and Chandigarh.
WE WORK IN COORDINATION WITH FOLLOWING ORGANISATIONS
- Punjab Human Rights Organisation
- Lawyers For Social Reforms, Chandigarh
- Human Rights Law Network, Mumbai
- Punjab Rights Organisation, Belgium
- People's Union For Civil Liberties
- Amnesty International, UK
- Sikh Human Rights Group, UK
- Co-ordination Committee For Disappearances in Punjab
- Voices for Freedom, USA
HO W C A N Y O U G
E T I N V O L V E D ?
LFHRI relies on the support of individuals and
non-governmental organisations to further its work with victims
of human rights violations.
If you belong to legal fraternity or interested in human rights
cause and would like to know more about how we could work together,
please contact us or write to us.
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Location of Regd.Office :
Chamber NO.122, District Courts, Sec.17, Chandigarh. India.
160017
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