Amnesty urges Bangladesh to drop ICT charges against two journalists

Amnesty International has called on Bangladeshi authorities to immediately withdraw charges brought by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) against detained Ekattor Television journalists Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Haque.

In a statement issued on 21 May, Amnesty International criticised the charges, which reportedly relate to a "misleading" report aired by the television channel on the deadly crackdown at Shapla Square in May 2013.

Responding to the case, South Asia Regional Director of Amnesty International, Smriti Singh, said, "Freedom of expression extends to information which some may find offensive, shocking or disturbing. Respect for this right is essential to ensuring healthy public discourse in a rights respecting society. Journalists must not be targeted for opinions which are disagreeable, or their perceived links to political parties."

"Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Haque, who are already in detention, now face vague new charges relating to a story that was aired more than a decade ago. Their arrest in a case related to crimes against humanity is an afront to fundamental principles of press freedom and sets a dangerous precedent that threatens the right of all journalists to report without fear of retaliation," she added.

"Their arrest in a case related to crimes against humanity is an afront to fundamental principles of press freedom," Singh said.

She further criticised the ICT, saying, "Moreover, the Tribunal has been blighted by serious fair trial and due process concerns, as well as for meting out the death penalty, which Amnesty International opposes in all cases."

"Bangladeshi authorities must drop all charges against them related to their work as journalists and ensure the respect and protection of the right to freedom of expression including media freedom, in line with their international human rights obligations," she added.

Farzana Rupa is the chief reporter of Ekattor Television, while Mozammel Haque serves as the channel's managing director.

According to Amnesty International, the charges filed on 7 March concern the channel's coverage of the crackdown on Hefazat-e-Islam protesters at Shapla Square in Dhaka in May 2013. Prosecutors reportedly alleged that the channel aired a "misleading" report suggesting there were no casualties, thereby diverting public attention from the actual death toll.

On 5 May 2013, around 200,000 Hefazat supporters gathered at Shapla Square before security forces launched an operation to disperse them. The number of deaths in the incident has remained disputed.

Both journalists were already in pretrial detention in separate cases linked to the July 2024 protests.

According to Amnesty, Farzana Rupa has been detained since August 2024 and faces nine murder charges. Mozammel Haque has been in detention since September 2024 and faces five cases, including four murder charges and one extortion charge.

The organisation noted that the murder cases involve multiple accused named in the First Information Reports (FIRs), with some cases listing more than 200 alleged perpetrators.