Desk Report — Five prominent international human rights and media freedom organizations have jointly called on the government of Bangladesh to immediately and unconditionally release four journalists currently held under pre-trial detention.
The joint statement advocates for the release of high-profile media figures, including Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Babu, highlighting a growing global concern over press freedom in the country.
The unified appeal was issued by Amnesty International, Article 19, CIVICUS, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and Human Rights Watch.
Concerns Over Contested ICT Investigation
The rights organizations revealed that Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Babu are currently facing investigations under the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) related to their news coverage of a security operation at Dhaka’s Shapla Chattran during a Hefazat-e-Islam rally on May 5–6, 2013.
The prosecution alleges that the journalists spread “misleading information” regarding the death toll, thereby contributing to crimes against humanity.
Although the duo was formally shown arrested in this case on May 14, no charge sheet or concrete evidence has been presented in court so far. Condemning the legal approach, the joint statement noted:
“Criminalizing reporting or editorial decisions on political and controversial events, and prosecuting them as crimes against humanity, is legally flawed. It stands in direct violation of freedom of expression and creates a chilling effect on the media.”
The international bodies further argued that the ICT proceedings against Rupa and Babu breach Bangladesh’s international commitments under Articles 15 and 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Prolonged Pre-Trial Detentions
In addition to the ICT cases, journalists Farzana Rupa, Mozammel Babu, Shakil Ahmed, and Shyamal Dutta have been held in pre-trial detention since August and September of 2024.
Their initial detentions were tied to multiple homicide cases filed following the mass casualties during the July–August 2024 popular uprising, which led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina administration.
The rights groups pointed out that no official charge sheets have been submitted in any of these murder cases, nor has the state provided any logical explanation as to how routine broadcasting or journalistic duties could make them complicit in murder.
While the High Court granted bail to Rupa and Shakil in most of these cases on May 11 of this year, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court subsequently stayed the order.
The organizations emphasized that regardless of the bail status in the homicide cases, the newly leveraged ICT case is acting as a distinct mechanism to prolong the journalists’ detention indefinitely.
Call for Independent Review and Legal Reforms
The coalition has urged the government not to formally indict Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Babu simply for performing their professional duties as journalists.
They have demanded the establishment of an independent mechanism to meticulously review all cases brought against media professionals under the ICT.
Furthermore, the five international watchdogs called for the immediate withdrawal of what they termed “politically motivated” charges against Rupa, Babu, Ahmed, and Dutta.
They strongly urged the authorities to put an end to the culture of filing wholesale lawsuits and mass First Information Reports (FIRs) targeting members of the press.
The joint statement concluded by noting that halting the harassment of journalists would directly align with the policy commitments outlined in the manifesto of Prime Minister Tariq Rahman.
The global community expects the government to translate these promises into concrete actions by swiftly withdrawing these controversial cases.