Dhaka, Nov 18 (V7N) – Amnesty International has raised serious concerns over the fairness and integrity of the trial that sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan to death for crimes against humanity committed during the July uprising. In a statement issued on Monday, the UK-based rights organization said it did not consider the verdict either fair or credible under international human rights standards.

Amnesty Secretary General Agnès Callamard said those responsible for grave human rights violations during the student-led protests in July and August 2024 must indeed face justice, but the process must be impartial and lawful. She stated that the trial failed to meet these fundamental requirements, undermining the rights of victims seeking truth and accountability. Callamard reaffirmed the organization’s stance that the death penalty is inherently cruel, inhuman and degrading, and should have no place in any justice system.

Citing the large-scale violence between July and August, during which more than 1,400 people were reportedly killed and several thousand injured, Amnesty emphasized that families of victims deserve a fully independent and transparent judicial process consistent with global legal norms. The statement noted that the case was tried in the International Crimes Tribunal, an institution the organization has long criticized for lacking independence and for conducting proceedings that fall short of fair trial standards.

Amnesty further highlighted the unprecedented speed with which the trial was conducted in the absence of the defendants, raising additional questions about judicial integrity. Although a court-appointed lawyer represented Sheikh Hasina, Amnesty said the defense was given inadequate time to prepare. Reports that contradicted evidence could not be cross-examined, which the organization said amounted to a violation of due process and reinforced its concerns about procedural fairness.

Calling the verdict inconsistent with the principles of justice, Amnesty said the victims of the July 2024 violence deserve a process free from political influence, structural bias or punitive practices that may further violate human rights. It reiterated that meaningful truth, justice and reparations can only be achieved through procedures that entirely exclude the use of the death penalty.

Concluding its statement, Amnesty International reaffirmed its absolute opposition to capital punishment in all circumstances, regardless of the nature of the crime, the identity of the accused or the method of execution.

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