A Bangladesh court has
sentenced two prominent human rights activists to two years in jail, in what
critics say is part of a crackdown ahead of elections.
Adilur Rahman Khan and
Nasiruddin Elan from the rights group Odhikar always denied decade-old charges that
they published a report with false information.
But prosecutors said their
report on security force killings in 2013 "undermined" the country's
image.
The two were convicted on
Thursday in Dhaka after a 10-year judicial process.
Dozens of international
human rights groups have called for the two men's immediate release, saying the
pair were denied a fair trial.
Both activists have spent
decades documenting thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings, disappearances
of opposition activists, and police brutalities in Bangladesh.
They were convicted for a report Odhikar published in 2013 about a
protest by an Islamist group that had sought to impose a stricter form of the
religion on Bangladeshi society.
Their report documented
that security forces killed at least 61 people, including children, in an
overnight operation in Dhaka to remove protesters.
Khan and Elan were detained
shortly after the report was published and then released on bail. The charges
were only again picked up by prosecutors in recent times.
"They were sentenced
to two years in jail for publishing and circulating false information, hurting
religious sentiments and undermining the image of the state," prosecutor
Nazrul Islam Shamim told the AFP news agency.
Human Rights Watch has
pointed out that prosecutorial action on their case did not proceed until 2021-
after US sanctions were brought against Bangladesh's elite paramilitary force
for their alleged involvement in hundreds of enforced disappearances and
extrajudicial killings since 2009.
Last week, the United
Nations also highlighted that both men had faced harassment and intimidation
while on bail.
Rights groups have called
for the two men's immediate release, saying their trial had been marred with
"due process violations", such as a failure to provide the defense
with crucial information until a day before the hearing.
"In addition to
targeting Odhikar's leaders, the Government interfered with the organization's
ability to conduct its human rights work by blocking their access to funds and
leaving its registration renewal application pending since 2014," read a statement signed by 39 international rights groups.
Sheikh Hasina's government
has been accused of targeting activists and political opponents since she
became leader of Bangladesh in 2009 - something she denies.
Last year, the government
canceled Odhikar's operating license, accusing it of tarnishing the country's
image.
Under Khan's and Elan's
leadership, Odhikar worked closely with the UN and international human
rights groups. Its reports were also cited in US State Department country
reports.
The jailing of the
activists comes just four months before Bangladesh's next general election and
amid growing calls to ensure free and fair polls.
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