State security forces and Awami League men were involved in crimes against humanity during the July uprising as the security forces in some cases shot defenseless protesters from point blank range to kill them, citing a United Nations (UN) report, BSS reported.
"...it would appear that a significant number of the killings by State security forces and Awami League supporters would amount to the crime against humanity of murder, as set forth in Article 7 of the Rome Statute," said the recent fact-finding report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
In some cases, it said security forces shot and killed defenseless protesters from point blank range with the clear intent of killing their victims.
The Office of the OHCHR released its Fact-Finding Report titled "Human Rights Violations and Abuses related to the Protests of July and August 2024 in Bangladesh" from its Geneva office on February 12.
The UN report revealed that in many other cases, the security forces aimed and fired lethal ammunition from military rifles and automatic pistols at crowds, targeting the head and torso level.
The security forces also fired shotguns loaded with lethal metal pellets from close range aimed at these vital areas, usually multiple rounds by multiple shooters.
"Persons discharging such weapons and their commanders would have been aware that this conduct would result in the death of some members of targeted crowds in the ordinary course of events," it said.
"In most cases, such killings could find no justification as self-defense or defense of others since the victims were either peaceful protesters, vandals of property or and rioting persons who posed no imminent threat of death or serious injury," the report read.
The OHCHR said it has reasonable grounds to believe that the crimes against humanity of murder, torture, imprisonment and infliction of other inhumane acts have taken place during the July protest in Bangladesh, as part of a widespread and systematic attack against protesters and other civilians.
According to Article 7 (1) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, to which Bangladesh is a party, crimes against humanity require a widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population, with the perpetrator knowing that the conduct was part of, or intended for it to be part of, the attack.
"Attack directed against any civilian population" means a course of conduct involving multiple acts of murder, torture or other acts prohibited under Article 7 of the Rome Statute when committed pursuant to or in furtherance of a State or organizational policy to commit such attack.
During the movement from 15 July to 5 August, relevant prohibited acts of murder, torture, imprisonment and other inhumane acts were consistently directed against a defined group of civilians, particularly the protestors, the OHCHR observed.
It showed that the security forces and intelligence agencies tortured persons in their custody or control too.
The OHCHR claimed that it also had reasonable grounds to believe that the widespread and systematic attack against civilians was carried out in furtherance of a government policy.
The political leadership and senior security leadership organized and directed the attack to fulfill their objective of violently and unlawfully suppressing the protests and remain in power.
"The intelligence and security services and the political leadership also made coordinated efforts to conceal the crimes committed in furtherance of that policy, by arbitrarily shutting down the Internet, falsely accusing others and intimidating the media, victims, victim families and lawyers," the report said.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
