23 February 2005

Alert

Authorities proceed in sedition case against journalist


Incident details

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 22 February 2005 CPJ press release:

BANGLADESH: Authorities proceed in sedition case against journalist

New York, February 22, 2005 - The Bangladesh Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has issued a "charge sheet" against Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, editor and publisher of the tabloid weekly Blitz, a critical step in bringing the journalist to trial on sedition and anti-state allegations that could lead to the death penalty.

The charge sheet discloses details of the CID's case against Choudhury, who has been imprisoned since November 2003. The Committee to Protect Journalists today called the development deeply troubling, and it urged the government to drop the charges against Choudhury immediately.

Choudhury was arrested while on his way to Israel to participate in a conference with the Hebrew Writers Association. Bangladesh has no formal relations with Israel, and travel to Israel is illegal for Bangladeshi citizens. He was charged with passport violations, which were later dropped, and was then formally charged with sedition in February 2004. As evidence for the sedition charges brought against Choudhury three months after his arrest, an airport security officer cited articles written by the journalist about the rise of fundamentalism in Bangladesh.

In Bangladesh, a trial cannot proceed without the issuance of a charge sheet. The charge sheet submitted by the CID on February 13 claims to have proved the sedition charges filed against Choudhury. Authorities have not notified Choudhury's family of a court date but have placed the case under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, according to his brother.

"Issuing a charge sheet against Choudhury is a disturbing further step in the ongoing prosecution of this journalist, who has already been imprisoned for 14 months on scurrilous charges," CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper said. "We call on Bangladeshi authorities to drop these charges and release him from custody."

CPJ is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information on Bangladesh, visit http://www.cpj.org



Source:

Committee to Protect Journalists
330 7th Ave., 11th Floor
New York, NY 10001
USA
info (@) cpj.org
Phone: +1 212 465 1004
Fax: +1 212 465 9568
 

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Updates to this story

CJFE protests charges against journalist as new hearing date set 29 May 2007 Controversial journalist attacked in office raid 10 October 2006 RSF condemns authorities' failure to respond to death threats prior to bombing of independent weekly 12 July 2006

More on this case

CPJ calls for charges against Bangladeshi journalist to be dropped 27 May 2005 Journalist released on bail after 17 months behind bars but concern for his safety remains 4 May 2005 CPJ condemns journalist's ongoing detention 1 December 2004 CPJ condemns ongoing imprisonment of journalist 29 June 2004 International PEN concerned that journalist is being detained for his writings 26 May 2004 Magazine editor held on charge of spying for Israel 2 December 2003

Bangladesh

Ruling party MP assaults TV reporter 4 January 2012 Editor released on bail 28 November 2011 Newspaper editor freed after three months, immediately re-arrested 4 November 2011 Editor granted bail after three months in detention 31 October 2011 Media freedom threatened by wave of violence and harassment 4 October 2011 See all alerts: Bangladesh


 
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