The International Crimes Tribunal has fixed June 10 to decide whether to punish for contempt the 23 eminent citizens who did not apologise before it for their statement, issued expressing concern over the conviction of Dhaka-based British journalist David Bergman.
The court also asked those living in Bangladesh to be present before it.
The tribunal led by its Chairman Justice Obaidul Hassan fixed the date after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence, and three alleged contemnors.
On April 1, the tribunal issued a rule asking them why they should not be punished for contempt of court. After they responded to the rule, lawyer Asaduzzaman argued yesterday for 10 of them while Akhter Imam and Rehnuma Anam for two others. Shirin Haque stood for three of them. The hearing ended with prosecutor Turin Afroze’s argument.
During the hearing, the tribunal said those who issued the statement were irresponsible. The statement was sent to the media in Bangla and English. The signatories could not say which version they signed on and who had translated the statement.
On December 2 last year, the tribunal found Bergman, editor (special reports) of the New Age, in contempt for making derogatory remarks in two of his three blogs published in 2011 and 2013 and sentenced him to imprisonment “till rising of the court” and fined Tk5,000. In the other article, the tribunal did not convict him but condemned and warned for his writing where he had criticised the death figure in 1971.
The tribunal in the unanimous order said: “...in the name of exercising right to freedom of expression, he [Bergman] has crossed the limits of his professional ethics.”
After the verdict, 50 eminent citizens, in a statement, expressed concern saying that the order would restrict freedom of expression. Of them, rights activist Khushi Kabir withdrew her name while 26 others were exempted from the charge for apologising unconditionally.
