Justice for victims of 2024 massacre not served by death sentence against Sheikh Hasina: Amnesty International
UK-based human rights organisation Amnesty International has said it does not believe the trial of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan was “fair or impartial.”
The organisation made the remark on Monday in response to the International Crimes Tribunal sentencing the two to death for crimes against humanity committed during the 2024 July mass uprising.
Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, said in a statement, “Those individually responsible for the egregious violations and allegations of crimes against humanity that took place during the student-led protests in July and August 2024 must be investigated and prosecuted in fair trials. However, this trial and sentence is neither fair nor just. Victims need justice and accountability, yet the death penalty simply compounds human rights violations. It’s the ultimate cruel, degrading and inhuman punishment and has no place in any justice process.”
Citing that more than 1,400 people were killed and thousands injured between July and August 2024, Agnès Callamard added, “Justice for survivors and victims demands that fiercely independent and impartial proceedings, which meet international human rights standards are conducted. Instead, this trial has been conducted before a court that Amnesty International has long criticised for its lack of independence and history of unfair proceedings. “
The statement further said, “Further, the unprecedented speed of this trial in absentia and verdict raises significant fair trial concerns for a case of this scale and complexity. Although Sheikh Hasina was represented by a court-appointed lawyer, the time to prepare a defence was manifestly inadequate. Such unfair trial indicators are compounded by reports that defence cross examination of evidence deemed to be contradictory was not allowed.”
Calling the International Crimes Tribunal’s death verdict “not a fair trial,” Amnesty said, “The victims of July 2024 deserve far better. Bangladesh needs a justice process that is scrupulously fair and fully impartial beyond all suspicion of bias and does not resort to order further human rights violations through the death penalty. Only then can genuine and meaningful truth, justice and reparations be delivered.”
The statement concludes by saying that Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception, regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime; guilt, innocence or other characteristics of the individual; or the method used by the state to carry out the execution.