Odhikar’s Adilur, Elan appeal against jail term
The lawyer told the media that in addition to filing an appeal and a bail petition, they have submitted a petition seeking suspension of the imposed fine in the case
Human Rights organisation Odhikar's Secretary Adilur Rahman Khan and Director ASM Nasiruddin Elan have filed an appeal against the two-year jail sentence they were handed down in a case filed in 2013.
Ruhul Amin Bhuiyan, lawyer of Adilur and Elan, filed the appeal and a bail petition with the High Court on Monday.
The lawyer told the media that in addition to filing an appeal and a bail petition, they have submitted a petition seeking suspension of the imposed fine in the case.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
"On 14 September, the lower court issued an order to provide first-class division privileges to Adilur Rahman Khan. However, this facility has not yet been granted," lawyer Ruhul Amin Bhuiyan told TBS.
Earlier on 14 September, Cyber Tribunal judge AM Julfiker Hayet handed down the two-year imprisonment to the Odhikar leaders in a case filed under the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act in 2013.
At the same time, they were fined Tk10,000 each and sentenced to one month in jail in default.
Expressing concern over the imprisonment of the Odhikar leaders, the US said in a statement on 14 September, "Today's judgement against Odhikar's Secretary Adilur Rahman Khan and Director ASM Nasiruddin Elan may further undermine the willingness of human rights defenders and civil society to play their vital democratic role."
France and Germany issued a joint statement on 16 September, expressing concern over the imprisonment of Adilur and Elan.
"We regret the Bangladeshi court's decision regarding Adilur Rahman Khan and ASM Nasiruddin Elan. We have expressed our concern to the authorities on this situation and will maintain our dialogue with them on this case," said the statement.
Adilur and Elan are accused in an ICT case (currently the Cyber Security Act) on charges of "distorted report and doctored images" about police action on a Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Motijheel in the capital on 6 May, 2013.
On 10 August, 2013, Adilur was detained after Odhikar published a fact-finding report on extrajudicial killings and excessive use of force to disperse a protest in Bangladesh.
Adilur's whereabouts remained unknown for several hours until the police filed a case against him under the Information and Communication Technology Act, 2006, which was later replaced by the government in 2018 with the Digital Security Act. He was in custody for 62 days; while Elan, who was detained later, was in custody for 25 days.
Both were on bail till they were sent to jail on 14 September.
