Global rights body Amnesty International has demanded that the government immediately and unconditionally drop ‘trumped-up charges’ against journalist Probir Sikder brought over a Facebook post. Probir Sikder, editor of the daily newspaper Bangla 71, could be jailed for more than a decade for this, the rights body feared in a news release posted on its website on Monday. The journalist was arrested in August 2015 and has been out on bail since.
“He is due in court in Dhaka on 26 June, when the charges against him are expected to be formalised,” said the release.
“Any charges against Probir Sikder must be dropped immediately and unconditionally. It is a sad state of affairs when a respected journalist could face more than a decade in prison simply for posting on social media,” said Champa Patel, Amnesty International’s South Asia Director.
After receiving death threats following articles he had written about a local property dispute, Probir Sikder fled his home in Faridpur district in 2015.
On August 10, 2015, he posted a statement on Facebook saying a government minister – and others should be held responsible if he were to be killed, or harmed in any way. Probir Sikder says he posted the statement after police refused to take action over the death threats made against him.
Probir Sikder has been accused of ‘tarnishing the image’ of Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, Minister for Local Government, under Section 57 of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Act. If found guilty, he could face between seven and fourteen years in prison.
“Independent media is under siege in Bangladesh. Instead of trying to suppress the important work journalists are doing, the authorities should do more to hold to account those who threaten, intimidate and harass media workers,” said Champa Patel.