Drop crimes against humanity charges against Farzana Rupa, Mozammel Babu: CPJ

The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on the Bangladeshi authorities to immediately drop the charges of crimes against humanity against journalists Farzana Rupa and Mozammel Babu and release them without delay.

It issued a statement in this regard yesterday after prosecutors at Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) submitted a formal charge sheet naming the two journalists and 39 other people — including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina — in a case linked to a May 2013 crackdown on a rally by Islamist group Hefajat-e-Islam at Shapla Chattar, in which 58 people are alleged to have been killed.

In the statement, it said, Rupa, former principal correspondent and presenter at Ekattor TV, and Babu, the channel’s founder and former editor-in-chief, were arrested in the crimes against humanity case on May 14.

ICT Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam told the media that Rupa, acting on Babu’s instructions, produced a documentary about the crackdown for Ekattor TV that falsely claimed no one was killed at Shapla Chattar.

“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 Program Coordinator. 

“Authorities must drop the charges and break the cycle of partisan political vendettas against the press.”

If found guilty, Rupa and Babu could face the death penalty because the tribunal does not have sentencing guidelines for specific offenses.

Both journalists have been in custody since August 2024 on separate murder charges connected to the 2024 mass protests. 

Although the High Court order granted bail in those cases, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court issued a stay and, even if it is lifted, authorities can keep the journalists in prison under the ICT case, the statement added.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Law and the Office of the Chief Prosecutor did not reply to CPJ’s emailed request for comment.