Bangladesh had at least 433 prisoners under the Digital Security Act as of July 11 this year, Amnesty International told the United Nations’ Human Rights Council (HRC) yesterday.
The figure was 358 exactly a year ago (July 11, 2020), said the rights body during the Council’s 48th session.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. “The longest serving prisoner detained at least until 11 July 2021 under the law has been detained since December 24, 2018,” said Saad Hammadi, the South Asia Campaigner for Amnesty International, briefing the Council.
Amnesty reviewed the recommendations made during Bangladesh’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) to see which ones have been implemented so far.
Every four years, the HRC reviews Bangladesh’s human rights situation as part of its UPR. The last time Bangladesh went through the process was in 2018.
Bangladesh was reviewed and it agreed to implement 178 of the suggestions to improve the human rights situation in the country.
Switzerland, Poland, Latvia, Slovakia, New Zealand, Canada and some other countries had recommended that Bangladesh take measures to ensure freedom of press, freedom of assembly, and freedom of political association.
The US recommended that Bangladesh decriminalise defamation and “hurting religious sentiment” while France, Sweden and Norway specifically said that the Digital Security Act needs to be changed.
Amnesty International said no progress has been made in these regards.
“Amnesty International has found a concerning pattern in which the authorities weaponised Sections 25 [publication of false or offensive information], 29 [Publication of defamatory information], and 31 [Offence and punishment for deteriorating law and order] of the Act to target and harass critical voices,” said the organisation.
According to the country’s Department of Prisons, Bangladesh had 185 prisoners under Section 25, 162 persons under Section 29 and 163 persons under Section 31 as of 11 July this year, it added.
“An analysis of print and online news by Amnesty International shows that more than 100 journalists have been sued under Bangladesh’s draconian Digital Security Act between January 2019 and July 2021, and at least 40 of them were arrested,” said the organisation.
Amnesty said it analysed the cases of 10 individuals charged with criminal defamation charges, and in six of them the complainant was either a law enforcement official or someone else other than the person said to be defamed.
“In those cases, the authorities also included assumption that social media posts by the individuals were “about to” deteriorate law and order. Satire and criticism were treated as false, offensive or derogatory,” said the rights body.
About the Rohingya refugee crisis, the organisation said conditions in Myanmar are “not conducive for the safe, dignified, voluntary and sustainable return” of the Rohingya refugees.
This was in response to a recommendation made by Japan to continue a constructive dialogue with Myanmar with the aim of repatriation.
