Prosecutors at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Monday submitted a formal charge sheet naming journalists Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Babu, along with 39 other individuals including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, in a case involving crimes against humanity.
The charges are linked to a May 2013 crackdown on a rally held by the Islamist group Hefajat-e-Islam at Shapla Chattar, during which 58 people were allegedly killed.
Farzana Rupa, the former principal correspondent and presenter at Ekattor TV, and Mozammel Babu, the channel’s founder and former editor-in-chief, were arrested in connection with the case on 14 May.
ICT Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam told the media that Rupa, acting under the instructions of Babu, produced a documentary for Ekattor TV which falsely claimed that no fatalities occurred at Shapla Chattar.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for the immediate withdrawal of the charges and release of both journalists.
“Charging journalists Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Babu with crimes against humanity for doing their work is simply unacceptable,” said Kunal Majumder, CPJ’s Asia-Pacific programme coordinator, who urged authorities to “break the cycle of partisan political vendettas against the press.”
If convicted, Rupa and Babu could face the death penalty, as the tribunal currently lacks sentencing guidelines for specific offences.
Both journalists have remained in custody since August 2024 on separate murder charges related to that year’s mass protests.
While a High Court order had granted them bail in those instances, the Appellate Division of Supreme Court issued a stay on the order. Even if this stay is lifted, authorities are permitted to keep the journalists in prison under the ongoing ICT case.
Bangladesh’s Ministry of Law and the office of the chief prosecutor did not respond to requests for comment regarding the matter.
