UN’s Turk stresses accountability in disappearance cases, demands release of those arbitrarily detained

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said today the initiation of proceedings against those accused of carrying out enforced disappearances and torture under the previous government in Bangladesh was an important step towards accountability. He called for adherence to due process and the highest standards of justice in accordance with international law. Turk also stressed the urgent need to release those arbitrarily detained.

“This marks the first time that formal charges have been brought for enforced disappearances in the country. It is a significant moment for victims and their families,” High Commissioner Turk said in a press release from the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Wednesday.

The press release said Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal submitted formal charges of crimes against humanity in two cases related to enforced disappearances and torture alleged to have occurred at the Task Force for Interrogation Cell and the Joint Interrogation Cell, respectively. The Tribunal also issued arrest warrants for mostly former, but also some serving, military officers, including a number of former Directors-General of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, as well as former officials of the Rapid Action Battalion.

On Saturday, Bangladesh’s army announced that it had detained over a dozen of its officers accused of serious crimes committed under the previous administration. It is crucial that the army promptly produces these detained officers to a competent civilian court, for fair and transparent criminal proceedings, the press release adds.

“I urge full respect for the most scrupulous standards of due process and fair trial, as guaranteed in international law. The protection of victims and witnesses in these sensitive and significant cases must be ensured,” Turk said.

“One of the key recommendations of the UN Human Rights Office’s Fact-Finding Report into last year’s deadly student-led protests was that those responsible for serious violations of human rights, some of which may also constitute international crimes, must be held to account in accordance with international standards,” said the press release.

The crime of enforced disappearances is now formally recognised in Bangladesh for the first time following ratification in August 2024 of the Convention on Enforced Disappearances and an amendment to the International Crimes Tribunal Act, says the press release.

The High Commissioner also urged Bangladesh authorities to prioritise the handling of the large number of other pending cases – with some dating back to the previous administration and others since then.

“It is crucial to ensure due process and fair resolution in each case, and to release promptly anyone who has been arbitrarily detained,” the press release adds.

It said the detainees include survivors of enforced disappearances and others facing unfounded charges, including journalists and those perceived to be supporters of the former regime. Many of them continue to face criminal charges, including under the draconian Anti-Terrorism Act.
The High Commissioner has also urged the authorities not to pursue the death penalty in any of the cases before its courts, irrespective of the seriousness of the charges.

“Beyond ensuring individual accountability, the best way forward for Bangladesh is a comprehensive process of truth-telling, reparation, healing and justice. Such a process must address the legacy of serious human rights violations and ensure that these abuses can never happen again. I also call on the interim Government to deal with ongoing concerns promptly in line with international law,” Türk said.