Seventy-two human rights organizations have demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Adilur Rahman Khan, Secretary of the Bangladeshi human rights organization Odhikar, and ASM Nasiruddin Elan, the organization’s director. Both men were convicted of disseminating false information and have been sentenced to two years imprisonment.
Both Amnesty International’s South Asian Regional Office and Human Rights Watch (HRW) have issued statements asserting that the detention of Khan and Elan is solely due to their human rights activities. According to Amnesty International, the charges against the two stem from a 2013 report in which they documented extrajudicial killings during a demonstration in Bangladesh.
AFP reports that Khan and Elan were sentenced on charges of “publishing and circulating false information, hurting religious sentiments, and undermining the state’s image”. These charges were filed under the Information and Communication Technology Act of 2006.
HRW appealed for the release of Khan and Elan without any preconditions, underlining the urgency to reverse their convictions and to ensure they can resume their duties without fear of retaliation.
The United States Embassy in Bangladesh has also expressed its support for the duo, voicing concerns that the judgment passed could further impede the work of human rights activists and civil society groups.
Moreover, the United Nations has echoed these concerns, criticising the use of legal proceedings in Bangladesh as a means of intimidating and harassing human rights advocates. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for a comprehensive review of Khan and Elan’s cases to ensure due process and fair trial standards are observed.
A July report revealed only 2% of human rights defenders in Bangladesh feel safe, with many attributing obstacles to their work to the ruling Awami League party, law enforcement agencies, and intelligence services.