The UK-based human rights organization Amnesty International has stated that the death sentences handed down by the International Crimes Tribunal against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan were neither fair nor just.
Agnes Callamard, the Secretary General of the organization, said that although an investigation into the allegations of human rights violations and crimes against humanity during the student-led movement of July–August 2024 is indeed necessary, it must be carried out through an independent and impartial judicial process. However, the ongoing trial has failed to meet those standards.
Amnesty noted that more than 1,400 people were killed and thousands were injured during the violence of that period. To ensure justice for the victims, a high-quality and impartial judicial process is required. But the court where the case was tried has long faced international criticism over its lack of independence and history of unfair procedures.
According to the organization, the rapid completion of the trial in the absence of the accused, insufficient time to appoint legal counsel, and the lack of opportunity to scrutinize key evidence all raise serious concerns about whether justice has been served.