The International Crimes Tribunal on Monday ordered journalists Shyamal Dutta, Mozammel Babu and Farzana Rupa to be sent to jail after showing them arrested in a crimes against humanity case over allegations that they incited killings and torture during the 2024 July Uprising through provocative statements in the media and at press conferences.

A bench of Tribunal-2, headed by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, passed the order after hearing the prosecution’s application.

They were produced before the International Crimes Tribunal-2 in the morning amid tight security.

The tribunal’s order came after a prosecution petition seeking their appearance.

Following a hearing on the petition, the tribunal on August 17 ordered the prison authorities to produce the three before the court on August 24 and issued production warrants.

During today’s hearing, Prosecutor SM Moinul Karim said the three journalists had incited the killing and torture of protesters during the July Uprising. The investigation into the allegations against them had found evidence, he said.

The Prosecutor also sought two months’ time to submit the investigation report in the case. The tribunal then set October 25 for its submission.

According to the prosecution, the three journalists made provocative questions and comments about the student protests during a press conference held at Ganabhaban on July 14, 2024, following then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to China.

The prosecution alleged that following those comments, the then prime minister made derogatory remarks about the protesting students, which contributed to the movement escalating into extreme violence and incited attacks on the protesters.

It further alleged that during the protests, the accused appeared on various talk shows and in other media outlets, where they spread misleading information and provocative statements against the students and thereby played a role in efforts to suppress the protests.

Shyamol Dutta is the former general secretary of the National Press Club and editor of Bhorer Kagoj. Mozammel Babu is the former managing director and editor-in-chief of Ekattor Television. Farzana Rupa is the former chief reporter and presenter of the same television channel.

All three are already in jail in connection with murder cases related to the July Uprising in 2024, and crackdown on Hefazat-e-Islam supporters in Shapla Chattar and Narayanganj in 2013.