5 International bodies want release of four journalists in Bangladesh
Shyamal Dutta, Farzana Rupa, Mozammel Babu, and Shakil Ahmed—file photo.
Five international human rights and press freedom organizations have called for the withdrawal of the ongoing investigation against journalists Farjana Rupa and Mozammel Babu in the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). They have also demanded the immediate release of four journalists currently in pre-trial detention, including Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Babu.
The joint call was made in a statement issued by Amnesty International, Article 19, CIVICUS, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and Human Rights Watch.
According to the statement, the ICT investigation against Rupa and Babu stems from their news coverage of the security operation conducted during Hefazat-e-Islam’s rally at Shapla Round-about (Shapla Chattar) in the capital on May 5–6, 2013. The prosecution alleges that they contributed to crimes against humanity by spreading "misleading information" regarding the death toll. Although their arrests were shown in this case on May 14, no chargesheet or evidence has been presented so far.
The organizations stated that criminalizing news coverage or editorial decisions regarding political or controversial events, and prosecuting them as crimes against humanity, is legally flawed and contrary to freedom of expression. They claimed that such actions create a chilling effect on the media.
According to the groups, this action against Rupa and Babu in the ICT contradicts Bangladesh's obligations under Articles 15 and 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The statement further said that journalists Farzana Rupa, Mozammel Babu, Shakil Ahmed, and Shyamal Dutta have been held in pre-trial detention since August and September 2024 in connection with cases filed over fatalities during the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024. In none of these cases has a chargesheet been filed so far, nor is there any explanation as to how murder charges can be brought against individuals merely for broadcasting news.
Although the High Court granted bail to Rupa and Shakil Ahmed in most cases on May 11 of this year, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court stayed the order. The organizations believe that regardless of the bail decisions in the murder cases, this ICT case is serving as a separate tool to keep the journalists continuously detained.
The organizations urged the Government of Bangladesh not to formally charge Farjana Rupa and Mozammel Babu simply for performing their journalistic duties. They also demanded the formation of an independent mechanism to review ICT cases filed against journalists. Furthermore, they called for the withdrawal of the "politically motivated" charges against journalists Farzana Rupa, Shakil Ahmed, Mozammel Babu, and Shyamal Dutta, alongside their release, and urged an end to the filing of indiscriminate cases and mass FIRs against journalists.
The signatory organizations of the joint statement mentioned that taking these steps to end the harassment of journalists would align with the promises made in Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s election manifesto. They expressed hope that the government would transform these promises into concrete action by withdrawing the aforementioned cases.
