War Crimes Trial
HRW alleges threats to defence team
Human Rights Watch (HRW), a New York based human rights organisation, in a statement yesterday said it had received allegations of threats to lawyers, witnesses and investigators who represent the war crimes accused in Bangladesh.
The organisation urged the Bangladesh government to investigate the allegations and take steps to deal with them.
When contacted by The Daily Star, a counsel for the accused war criminals supported the contents of the statement. However, State Minister for Law Quamrul Islam ruled out the allegations.
“Lawyers representing the accused before the International Crimes Tribunal have reported being harassed by state officials and threatened with arrests. Several witnesses and an investigator working for the defence have also reported harassment by police and threats for cooperating with the defence,” said the HRW statement.
“Harassment of defence counsel and witnesses further tarnishes a flawed process,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at HRW.
“If the government wants these trials to be taken seriously it must ensure that the rights of the accused are fully respected. That means making sure that lawyers and witnesses don't face threats or coercion,” Advocate Tajul Islam, a defence lawyer, told The Daily Star, adding the allegations mentioned in the HRW statement were "true".
He, however, said the lawyers, witnesses and investigators of the defence side are receiving the threats from the political civilians in the ruling Awami League, not from government officials.
State Minister Quamrul Islam rejected the allegations, saying that the government had been extending all cooperation to the defence for holding the trial of war crimes in a fair and neutral manner.
He also alleged that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, through different statements, had recently threatened prosecution witnesses in order to protect the war criminals.
Khaleda Zia is making the threat when the tribunal is about to begin hearings in the trial against Jamaat-e Islami leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee.
There is no difference between the BNP and Jamaat, said Quamrul.
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