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Contempt notice served on HRW

Staff Correspondent
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday issued a show-cause notice upon Human Rights Watch in connection with its "biased and unethical" report on the war crimes case against Ghulam Azam.
The Tribunal-1 asked the Board of Directors of Human Rights Watch, its Asia Director Brad Adams and Associate for the Asia Division Storm Tiv to respond within three weeks as to why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them for tarnishing the dignity of the tribunal.
On August 16, HRW in an article in its website claimed that the trial of Ghulam Azam at the Tribunal-1 had been "deeply flawed" and "it had not met the international standards"
It said the "judges had improperly conducted an investigation on behalf of the prosecution" and expressed concern over "collusion and bias among prosecutors and judges".
The report also said the Human Rights Watch also expressed concern over the "failure to take steps to protect defence witnesses", and "lack of evidence to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt"
On July 5, Ghulam Azam was handed down 90 years for crimes against humanity and genocide committed during the Liberation War.
The Tribunal-1 Chairman Justice ATM Fazle Kabir yesterday said there were sufficient grounds to draw up contempt proceedings against HRW and the two officials.
The judge said the respondents in their article had made five illegal comments about the trial process even after knowing that two appeals were pending with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
"Thus, they have illegally intervened in the judicial process of an independent country," said Justice Kabir.
Ghulam Azam has appealed against the tribunal verdict while the state has appealed seeking capital punishment.
The tribunal said, "The opposite parties neither made an enquiry into the matter to find out truth nor did they attend the tribunal to observe trial process of Azam's case but they hypothetically made biased, baseless, fabricated and scandalous report in the article with intent to create hatred about the performances of the judges and thereby making the whole trial process questionable.
'The opposite parties have deliberately as well as unethically cast a slur on the dignity and reputation of the judges by their scandalous report in their official website which have tarnished the image and honor of the judges of the tribunal in the estimation of the people at home and abroad."
If proved, the accused could have to serve one year in jail or pay Tk 5,000 in fine or both.
The court yesterday fixed September 30 for issuing an order regarding the petition, which the prosecution had filed on August 22.