The International Criminal Tribunal has issued an order to prohibit the broadcasting of all hate speeches made by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, following her involvement in the July-August genocide case. This directive comes after an investigation into her recent statements, which were deemed potentially inflammatory.

On Monday (December 9), the tribunal, led by Chairman Justice Mohammad Golam Mortuza Majumder, signed the order after considering the prosecution’s request. The directive, which applies to both media outlets and social media platforms, has been forwarded to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and other relevant authorities for enforcement.

The tribunal’s decision follows a petition by the prosecution on December 5, which argued that Sheikh Hasina, a fugitive in the genocide case, made hateful remarks while in exile in London. The prosecution requested that the government examine whether her statements were indeed hate speech and take necessary action.

The tribunal also directed the BTRC to remove all previous hate speeches made by Hasina from all media platforms. This order was sent to the Information Secretary, the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, and the Chairman of the BTRC to ensure its immediate implementation.

The prosecution had earlier argued that Hasina, who is wanted in connection with charges of genocide and crimes against humanity, was continuing to make statements that intimidated witnesses and victims of the July-August genocide. These statements, according to the prosecution, were obstructing the investigation into the case.

During the tribunal’s hearing, Prosecutor Gazi M. H. Tamim presented two specific statements made by Hasina. In one statement, she reportedly said, "Those who are escalating things now will not be spared. Wait until December. There’s nothing to fear. I’ve faced 227 murder cases, and I’ve been granted the license to kill 227 people. The punishment for one case is the same as for 227."

Such remarks were seen as contrary to international law and raised concerns about the potential impact on the investigation into the genocide case. In response, the tribunal asked the prosecutor to confirm the authenticity of these statements, to which the prosecutor confirmed that they had been broadcast by several media outlets and were available in video recordings.

Following this, the tribunal imposed the ban on the dissemination of all hate speech by Sheikh Hasina.

Additionally, the tribunal had previously directed that the investigation into the genocide charges against Sheikh Hasina, Obaidul Quader, and 46 others be concluded within a month, with a report due by December 17.

The tribunal also ordered the arrest and detention of 13 individuals, including Anisul Haque, who appeared before the court, and issued a directive to capture Sheikh Hasina and bring her back to the country for trial.

Source: UNB