Last update on: Tue Aug 29, 2023 12:01 AM
Amnesty International called on Bangladeshi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Khadijatul Kubra, who has been jailed for a year under the Digital Security Act (DSA) for hosting a webinar.
In a statement yesterday, Amnesty said Khadijatul’s year-long detention and repeated denial of bail are a “travesty and flagrant violation of the right to freedom of expression in Bangladesh.”
Khadijatul Kubra should be studying for her degree at university instead of languishing in prison waiting for her fate under the draconian DSA, the statement said.
Her continued arbitrary imprisonment comes as dissenting voices face a shrinking space in Bangladesh, and sets a chilling precedent for anyone whose views differ from the authorities, Amnesty warned.
Although the government decided to repeal the much-criticised DSA, officials continue invoking it to stifle dissent and persecute critics, the statement noted.
Despite the government’s decision to repeal the DSA, authorities continue to use the legislation to undermine human rights and persecute critics and activists.
“Authorities should immediately and unconditionally release Khadijatul and all those who are arbitrarily detained in Bangladesh solely for peacefully exercising their human rights, including freedom of expression,” said Nadia Rahman, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for South Asia.