International press freedom and human rights organisations have called on the Government of Bangladesh to ensure that journalists are not subjected to criminal prosecution, particularly for alleged crimes against humanity, solely because of their reporting.
In a joint statement, Amnesty International, ARTICLE 19, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and Human Rights Watch expressed concern over the International Crimes Tribunal’s (ICT) investigation into detained journalists Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Babu in connection with allegations arising from their broadcast coverage of the May 2013 Shapla Chattar events.
The organisations said prosecutors have indicated that the ICT investigation relates to the security operation carried out on 5–6 May 2013 against a protest by Hefazat-e-Islam at Shapla Chattar in Dhaka, where the reported death toll remains contested.
According to the statement, on 14 May 2026, the ICT showed Rupa and Babu arrested in the case. At the time of the statement, their lawyers had not received any evidence or charge sheet. Prosecutors have suggested that the allegations concern their broadcast coverage of the 2013 events, including a current affairs programme presented by Rupa that allegedly “spread misleading information” about casualty figures and contributed to crimes against humanity.
The organisations stated that freedom of expression protects journalistic work, including reporting and editorial decisions on matters of significant public interest, particularly when events are politically contested or disputed. They argued that decisions about covering such events should not be criminalised or prosecuted as crimes against humanity, describing the initiation of proceedings without a legal foundation as a threat that could create a chilling effect on journalists and media organisations in Bangladesh.
The statement also noted that Farzana Rupa, Mozammel Babu, Rupa’s husband and fellow Ekattor TV journalist Shakil Ahmed, and Shyamal Dutta, editor of the newspaper Bhorer Kagoj, have been held in pre-trial detention since August and September 2024 in connection with multiple murder cases arising from deaths during the July–August 2024 uprising that resulted in the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s former Awami League government.
The organisations said no charge sheet has been served in those cases and that there has been no explanation as to how journalists’ reporting on the uprising could be characterised as the crime of murder. They also raised concerns about thousands of murder cases filed against perceived supporters of the former government, many of which, they stated, are based on no known evidence.
The statement further said that on 11 May 2026, Bangladesh’s High Court granted bail to Farzana Rupa and Shakil Ahmed in the majority of cases against them, but the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court later stayed that order. The organisations said the ICT proceedings create a separate legal route that could keep Rupa and Babu in detention regardless of bail decisions in other cases.
The signatories stated that the action against Rupa and Babu raises concerns regarding Bangladesh’s obligations under Articles 15 and 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Bangladesh is a state party.
They urged the Government of Bangladesh to:
- Ensure that the ICT investigation does not name Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Babu as formal accused solely on the basis of their journalism, and support an independent and impartial review mechanism to examine ICT cases involving journalists and determine whether prosecutions are based only on legitimate journalistic activities.
- Immediately release Farzana Rupa, Shakil Ahmed, Mozammel Babu, and Shyamal Dutta from cases where they are detained solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights and reporting, withdraw politically motivated charges related to journalistic work, and end the practice of case-stacking and mass First Information Reports against journalists and others across Bangladesh.
- Protect and uphold the human rights of everyone in Bangladesh, including the rights to freedom of expression and media freedom.
The organisations said that these steps would be consistent with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s manifesto commitment to end the persecution of journalists and called on the Government of Bangladesh to translate that commitment into concrete action.
Signatories:
- Amnesty International
- ARTICLE 19
- CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation
- Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
- Human Rights Watch