Order on HRW contempt proceedings Sept 4

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 on Tuesday set September 4 to pass an order whether to initiate contempt proceedings against New York-based rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) for making ‘biased, baseless, utterly false, fabricated and ill-motivated allegations’ in its report regarding the trial of former Jamaat chief Ghulam Azam.

The prosecution of the ICT on August 20, 2013, filed the contempt petition against HRW’s board of directors, its executive director of Asia Division Brad Adams, and its associate for the Asia Division Storm Tiv.

The first tribunal on 2 September 2013, issued the notice upon HRW and two of its officials, asking them to why proceedings would not be drawn against them for contempt of court.

In that order, The ICT-1 had said the accused parties unethically made five illegal comments on a "sub judice matter" i.e. the matter was under judicial consideration and therefore prohibited from public discussion elsewhere.

“They neither made an enquiry into matter nor did they attend any proceedings of the tribunal but hypothetically made the biased, illegal and unethical report. They wilfully but unethically tarnished the dignity and image of the tribunal and its Judges,” that order said.

Today was fixed for passing order on the matter, but the complainant party, in this case the prosecution, remained absent at the courtroom.

“Your friends from the prosecution perhaps became tired that is why they are nowhere to be found,” said Justice M Enayetur Rahim, chairman of the three-member panel of ICT-1, to Asaduzzaman, counsel for HRW.

“Today was fixed for passing the order, but we are not ready yet to pass that. We need more preparation,” the ICT-1 added.

After that the first tribunal deferred the date till September 4 accepting a plea of the defence.