UN withheld eyewitness information due to death penalty provision: Prosecutor

The United Nations did not share the identities or information of eyewitnesses used in its fact-finding report because Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Act still provides for the death penalty, Prosecutor Gazi Monawar Hossain Tamim told the tribunal on Thursday.

He made the remarks while presenting arguments before International Crimes Tribunal-2 during the trial of seven accused, including Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, over alleged crimes against humanity committed during the July 2024 mass uprising.

The prosecutor said the UN had preserved the identities and source information of all witnesses cited in its report. However, the organization had informed the prosecution that it would only provide the eyewitness information if the death penalty provision was removed from the ICT Act. As a result, the prosecution did not receive access to the UN's eyewitness data, although it is presenting its own witnesses before the tribunal.

Tamim also said the UN fact-finding report referred to alleged directives issued by senior Awami League leaders regarding attacks on protesters between July 14 and July 17, 2024.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published its fact-finding report on incidents that took place between July 1 and August 15, 2024.

To prepare the report, the UN said it interviewed more than 230 eyewitnesses and victims, as well as government officials, members of the security forces, and individuals linked to political parties across different parts of the country.

Besides Obaidul Quader, the other accused in the case are AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Mohammad Ali Arafat, Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, Mainul Hossain Khan, Saddam Hossain, and Sheikh Wali Asif.