Journo couple Shakil-Rupa legal team files UN complaint over ‘arbitrary detention’: VOA
This is a particularly absurd example of using the law to target critics, but unfortunately, it's still resulting in them remaining in prison, human rights lawyer says
The international legal team representing journalist couple Farzana Rupa and Shakil Ahmed filed a complaint on Wednesday (22 January) with the United Nations over their detention stating that it was carried out arbitrarily.
"This is a particularly absurd example of using the law to target critics, but unfortunately, it's still resulting in them remaining in prison," human rights lawyer Caoilfhionn Gallagher, who is leading the couple's international legal team, told VOA.
Earlier on 21 August 2024, Shakil, former head of news of Ekattor television and his wife Rupa, a former reporter and news presenter of the channel, were arrested from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in connection with a murder case filed during the July uprising.
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The case was filed with Uttara East Police Station under sections 302, 114, and 109 of the Penal Code.
More than 150 days have passed since then, and the married couple remains jailed on accusations that their legal team rejects as politically motivated.
Gallagher, who is based in London, said the case against her clients is an example of retaliatory lawfare, which is when governments use and abuse the law to target critics, reports VOA.
"The intellectual hoops you have to jump through to claim that journalism in itself may have contributed to a mindset, which may have contributed to an attack, which may have contributed to a death is just legally nonsensical," Gallagher said.
By filing a complaint with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Gallagher said she hopes the group will determine that Rupa and Ahmed's jailings are arbitrary.
"What we're seeing here is entirely unjust imprisonment without due process," she added.
The duo along with their daughter were apprehended by immigration authorities while attempting to leave the country. Later, they were handed over to the Detective Branch (DB) of police.
The family had intended to travel to Paris via Istanbul on the Turkish Airlines flight TK-713.
However, they were denied permission to leave the country by immigration police due to a lack of clearance from the Special Branch of police.
