A British lawyer files a complaint against Hasina and her office at the ICC

A UK-based lawyer has filed a complaint against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her cabinet and associated government figures at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, accusing them of crimes against humanity.

Lawyer Asraful Arafin of London’s 3 Bolt Court Chambers filed the lawsuit on October 28 demanding an independent investigation into the alleged atrocities, including targeted extrajudicial killings and systematic torture in secret detention centres.

The allegations also include Hasina’s regime’s severe restrictions on freedom of movement and expression through curfews and internet blackouts, as well as coordinated attacks that constitute crimes against humanity under Article 15 of the Rome Statute, according to a media statement sent by the lawyer today.

The applicant also requested the ICC to issue arrest warrants for key suspects to prevent further impunity.

According to a press statement, Bangladesh witnessed a terrible tragedy in July and August 2024. An unprecedented student movement against quotas in public office has turned into a broader demand for change.

However, the peaceful protests were soon violently dispersed. The then government of Bangladesh responded with excessive and lethal force, reportedly deploying the Bangladesh Police, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the Chhatra League to suppress dissent.

“These forces used firearms, rubber bullets, stun grenades and lethal weapons such as pellets and live ammunition indiscriminately,” it said.

Chamber 3 of Bolt’s trial said that as of August 2024, more than 1,400 civilians had been killed and 22,000 wounded. In addition to the mass casualties, at least 92 people were blinded by firearms and hundreds suffered life-changing injuries.

To limit international scrutiny, the government at the time imposed a nationwide internet blackout and restricted all communications, hampering efforts to document the violence, it added.

“These systematic extrajudicial killings, disappearances and acts of torture, including alleged abuses in secret detention centers such as Aynagar, constitute crimes against humanity under international law, reflecting a deliberate effort to eliminate political opposition and silence it.

dissent”.

Asraful Arafin said there are significant doubts about the ability of Bangladesh’s judiciary to impartially investigate these serious crimes, arguing that a large number of law enforcement and civil servants were appointed during Hasina’s administration, raising concerns about the neutrality of any investigation. .

Furthermore, the current caretaker government is expected to remain in place until the next parliamentary elections in Bangladesh, after which a new political government may come to power, potentially compromising justice due to political expediency.

“Furthermore, as Sheikh Hasina now resides in India and because of her political connections there, the execution of any domestic sentence remains uncertain.

“However, an international arrest warrant may put pressure on India to cooperate with the international community,” it said in a press statement.