War Crimes Trial
HRW condemns 'raid' on defence counsel's office
A New York-based human rights body yesterday condemned an alleged raid on the office of a defence lawyer in the war crimes trial taking place in Dhaka.
"The raid, without any justification being given, by armed police…is a grave affront to the basic tenets of fair trials," said a statement of Human Rights Watch (HRW).
The Bangladesh government should take action against those who ordered the raid on the office of defence counsel Mohammed Tajul Islam and take steps to ensure that lawyers are not subject to threats and intimidation, it said.
According to the statement, 10-12 police officers who identified themselves as members of the Detective Branch (DB) of police gathered outside the Dhaka law office of Tajul Islam on October 9.
When questioned about their presence by lawyers in the office, they denied any interest in the chambers but afterwards entered the offices, saying they wanted to search the premises, it said.
"Lawyers present at the office demanded that they produce a search warrant, but the officers could not produce one. The officers then started questioning staff and clients who were present in the offices, taking down names and addresses. The police left of their own accord after about twenty minutes."
The HRW release also said that on October 10, the defence counsel requested both the first and second chambers of the International Crimes Tribunal to investigate the raid. "The second chamber directed them to file a written application and to lodge a general diary."
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), however, downright rejected the allegations of any raid by police on the office of Tajul Islam.
"No policeman, either from DB or from any police station, did go to the office of the lawyer in the afternoon of October 9 or conducted any raid there," said Deputy Commissioner and in-charge of Media and Community Service of DMP Masudur Rahman.
He said anybody could falsely identify them as DB men.
HRW Asia Director Brad Adams said, “A raid by armed intelligence officers on the offices of defence lawyers without a warrant and for no discernible reason marks a very dangerous turn in an already flawed process.
“The Bangladeshi government needs to publicly condemn this action or risk the appearance of being responsible for this egregious violation of fair trial standards.”
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments