A prominent international human rights organisation, Justice Makers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), has strongly condemned the indictment of several journalists and a blogger before Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), calling the move 'politically motivated' and a direct threat to press freedom. The condemnation, issued from Paris, follows the ICT prosecution's filing of formal charges on 27 July against former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 40 others in a crimes against humanity case.

Background: The Shapla Chattar Case

The charges stem from the 2013 crackdown on a Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar in Dhaka on 5–6 May 2013. The ICT prosecution has now extended its net to include journalists and a blogger, a move the JMBF says conflates professional journalistic work with criminal liability. Among those named are Bangladeshi journalists Shahriar Kabir, Mozammel Haque, Farzana Rupa, and blogger Imran H. Sarker.

What the Rights Body Said

The JMBF called for the immediate withdrawal of all charges against the journalists and blogger, warning that criminalising news reporting, editorial decisions, television programming, and blogging poses a grave threat to the rule of law. In a pointed statement, the organisation said that 'presenting journalism, news reporting, television programming, editorial decisions, blogging, or the peaceful expression of opinions as international crimes without specific evidence establishing individual criminal responsibility is deeply alarming.'

Shahanur Islam, Founder President of JMBF, said: 'If any human rights violations or international crimes were committed during the events of 5–6 May 2013 at Shapla Square, they must be investigated and prosecuted through an independent, impartial, credible, and internationally recognised judicial process. However, portraying journalists and a blogger as international criminals solely because of political retaliation and their professional work is contrary to international human rights standards and seriously undermines the credibility of the justice system.'

Standards Demanded for ICT Proceedings

The JMBF stressed that charges of genocide and crimes against humanity — among the gravest offences under international law — must be grounded in 'direct, credible, and legally admissible evidence.' The body urged that all ICT proceedings conform to independent, impartial, and internationally recognised standards of investigation and judicial process. It further affirmed that every accused individual holds the right to a fair trial and must be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

International Oversight Sought

The rights body has formally called on the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to closely monitor the ongoing judicial proceedings in Bangladesh. The JMBF warned that criminalising journalists creates a 'severe chilling effect on investigative journalism and freedom of expression' across the country.

The developments come at a sensitive juncture for Bangladesh's judiciary, with the ICT — originally established to try perpetrators of the 1971 Liberation War — now handling cases linked to more recent political events, drawing renewed scrutiny over its independence and scope.