World News
Bangladesh tribunal orders three journalists held until trial over 2024 uprising
Human rights advocates have condemned the prosecution of the journalists, who are accused of inciting a deadly crackdown on protesters by asking former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina provocative questions.
The short version
- A special tribunal in Dhaka ordered journalists Mozammel Babu, Farzana Rupa, and Shyamal Dutta to remain jailed until their trial.
- The journalists are accused of inciting the suppression of student protesters in 2024 by asking Sheikh Hasina provocative questions during a press conference.
- International press freedom groups have strongly criticized the charges, arguing that editorial judgment and asking questions should not be criminalized.
- The judge scheduled the next court proceedings for October 25 and directed investigators to submit their findings by that date.
Key facts
- A special tribunal in Dhaka ordered Mozammel Babu, Farzana Rupa, and Shyamal Dutta to remain in custody until their trial.[Associated Press]
- Prosecutors claim the journalists incited the suppression of student demonstrators through provocative questions at a July 14, 2024, press conference, which allegedly led former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to launch a deadly crackdown.[Associated Press]
- The Committee to Protect Journalists and other global human rights groups have condemned the charges and called for the immediate release of the journalists, arguing that editorial decisions cannot be criminalized.[Associated Press]
- Families of the journalists claim they have been held illegally in custody on various charges, including murder.[Associated Press]
- Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in August 2024 during the mass uprising, was previously sentenced to death in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity.[Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- The timeline of the journalists' long-term detention is somewhat unclear, as the source states they have been held 'for years' following Hasina's ouster in August 2024, despite the current date of the proceedings being in August 2026.[Associated Press]