Bangladesh: UN human rights experts condemn killing of
bloggers critical of extremism
GENEVA (13 May 2015) – “The recent killing of three
bloggers in Bangladesh is an alarming signal of the deterioration of the space
for freedom of expression in the country,” the United Nations Special
Rapporteurs on freedom of expression, David Kaye, and on extrajudicial
executions, Christof Heyns, warned today. The three journalists had been strong
promoters of free expression and critical of fundamentalism of all kinds.
According to reports, Ananta Bijoy Das, who wrote for a
website promoting ‘science, rationalism, secularism, freethinking, human
rights, religious tolerance, and harmony amongst all people in the globe,’ was
hacked to death in the city of Sylhet on Tuesday 12. In February, the blogger
Avijit Roy was killed and his wife seriously injured in a similar attack while
in Dhaka. A month later, another blogger, Washiqur Rahman, was also killed in
the Bangladeshi capital.
The UN Special Rapporteurs called for a prompt and
thorough investigation of these cases, stressing that “it is vital to ensure
the identification of those responsible for these horrendous crimes, as well as
those who may have masterminded the attacks.”
“These recurrent murders are reprehensible in and of
themselves, and they exert a chilling effect with impact far beyond the direct
victims,” noted Mr. Kaye. “Attacks
against writers like Mr. Bijoy Das affect the society as a whole.”
“Given the very public nature of these horrendous crimes
targeting voices critical of extremism, it is very important that authorities
publicly condemn the crimes and emphasize the importance of free speech online
and offline,” he added.
States are under the obligations to provide, through
judicial or other means, effective protection of individuals and groups who may
be subject to extra-legal, arbitrary or summary executions, Mr. Heyns noted.
The Special Rapporteurs urged the Bangladeshi authorities
to consider specific initiatives to prevent the recurrence of attacks against
writers and activists. This should include not only the provision of particular
physical protections to those who are potential targets for violence, but also
open public debate challenging extremist views of all kinds.
ENDS
David Kaye (USA) was appointed as Special Rapporteur on
the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
in August 2014 by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Learn more, log on
to: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/FreedomOpinion/Pages/OpinionIndex.aspx
The Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or
arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns (South Africa), is a director of the
Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa and Professor of
Human Rights Law at the University of Pretoria, where he has also directed the
Centre for Human Rights, and has engaged in wide-reaching initiatives on human
rights in Africa.
He has advised a number of international, regional and
national entities on human rights issues. Learn more, log on to:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Executions/Pages/SRExecutionsIndex.aspx
The UN Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as
the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the
largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights, is the general name
of the independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms of the Human Rights
Council that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in
all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis;
they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work.
They are
independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual
capacity.
UN Human Rights, country page – Bangladesh:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/BDIndex.aspx
For further information and media requests, please contact
Marcelo Daher (+41 22 917 9431 / mdaher@ohchr.org) or write to
freedex@ohchr.org
For media inquiries related to other UN independent
experts:
Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917
9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)
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