Human Rights organisations have condemned Bangladesh Court’s death sentence for Sheikh Hasina. The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh awarded the former Prime Minister the death sentence after a trial in absentia. The ICT convicted her and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal of crimes against humanity.
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement, “Both were prosecuted in absentia, not represented by counsel of their choosing, and sentenced to death, raising serious human rights concerns.” Meenakshi Ganguly, Asia Director at HRW, emphasised the need for fair and impartial trials.
She said, “There is enduring anger and anguish in Bangladesh over Hasina’s repressive rule, but all criminal proceedings need to meet international fair trial standards.” She added, “Those responsible for horrific abuses under the Hasina administration should be held to account after impartial investigations and credible trials.”
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HRW said that trials in absentia fundamentally violate the right to a fair trial. It also urged the Yunus Government to protect the fundamental rights of the defendants. It emphasised that India does not need to hand over Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina has the right to oppose Bangladesh’s extradition request in Indian courts.
The HRW said, “No one should be extradited if they would face a trial abroad that does not meet international fair trial standards and could result in the death penalty.” Meenakshi Ganguly underscored that justice also means protecting the rights of the defendants.
International Human Rights groups condemn the Sheikh Hasina trial
Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, has condemned the ICT trial in a strong statement. She said, “Those individually responsible for the egregious violations and allegations of crimes against humanity that took place during the student-led protests in July and August 2024 must be investigated and prosecuted in fair trials. However, this trial and sentence is neither fair nor just.”
She added, “Justice for survivors and victims demands that fiercely independent and impartial proceedings, which meet international human rights standards are conducted. Instead, this trial has been conducted before a court that Amnesty International has long criticized for its lack of independence and history of unfair proceedings. Further, the unprecedented speed of this trial in absentia and verdict raises significant fair trial concerns for a case of this scale and complexity.”
Callamard effectively described the trial as a sham. She made the ICT appear as a Kangaroo Court. She stated, “This was not a fair trial. The victims of July 2024 deserve far better.”
Earlier, five international groups had written letters to several prominent human rights organisations to condemn the ICT trial against Sheikh Hasina. They also urged the world to stop the politically motivated trials in Bangladesh.
The five groups are the European Bangladesh Forum (EU and UK), Earth Civilization Network (Global), Freedom and Justice Alliance (Global), South Asia Democratic Forum (Belgium) and the Working Group Bangladesh (Germany).
