Dipendra Jha
Dipendra Jha has been working as a human rights and constitutional lawyer since 2007. He works on cases of human rights abuses in the Terai region, including torture, arbitrary arrests, and threats to human rights defenders. He is former Chair of the Terai Human Rights Defenders Alliance (THRDA) and he is a senior lawyer at the Terai Justice Centre (TJC).
THRD is a network that works to support marginalised communities in the Terai region and help them claim their rights, including equal participation in political processes and access to justice. The alliance has also worked on cases of torture and killings, provided medical care to detainees, advocated for the release of those detained on false charges, and advocated for compensation for victims. It has submitted 10 cases to the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, illegal arrests and extra-judicial executions. Moreover, the THRD Alliance has registered 12 public interest litigations at the Supreme Court on several issues such as the case of torture of Prashant Pandey or the citizenship case of Arjun Sah. The organisation is also filing two cases at the UN Human Rights Committee.
As a team leader of the organisation, Dipendra has been working on litigation of human rights violations cases. He has also written articles and participated in public debates on human rights issues.
The situation for human rights defenders has improved since the restoration of Parliament in April 2006 and the Peace Agreement signed in November 2006. However, human rights defenders and journalists have continued to face threats, harassment, and the violent dispersement of peaceful protests by police and security forces.
