ICT Tribunal May Rule on Charges Against Joy and Palak Today
An order may be issued today on whether to frame charges against Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former ICT Adviser, and former State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak in a case involving crimes against humanity committed through internet shutdowns and alleged incitement on Facebook during the July mass uprising.
As per the schedule, the order is expected on Wednesday, 21 January, from a three-member judicial panel of International Crimes Tribunal-1, led by Chairman Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Majumder.
Earlier, after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and the defence, the tribunal fixed this date on 15 January. On that day, advocate Liton Ahmed appeared on behalf of Palak, while state-appointed counsel Manjur Alam represented Joy. During the hearing, the defence opposed the three charges brought by the prosecution and claimed that neither Joy nor Palak had any involvement in the alleged offences. They sought discharge of the accused and pleaded for no charges to be framed. The prosecution, however, pressed for framing of charges.
On 11 January, Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam conducted the hearing on charge framing. On that day, he read out the three charges and formally sought to begin the trial proceedings against the two accused.
According to the prosecution, the first charge alleges that on the night of 14 July 2024, Palak incited violence on Facebook on instructions from Joy. As a result, on 15 July, police, Awami League activists and armed units of the Chhatra League carried out attacks on protesters at Dhaka University and various other locations. The charges further allege that the accused instigated and facilitated the use of lethal weapons by shutting down the internet, thereby aiding and abetting killings.
It is alleged that due to attacks by police and party-affiliated armed groups, 28 people, including Russell and Mosleh Uddin, were killed. The third charge relates to their alleged role in assisting in the killing of 34 people in Uttara.
In connection with the case, on 10 December the tribunal ordered the publication of notices in two national newspapers directing Joy to surrender before the court on charges of crimes against humanity. As Palak was already under arrest, he was produced before the tribunal on the same day. Earlier, on 4 December, the tribunal took cognisance of the formal charges submitted by the prosecution.
DBTech/BTN/EK/OR
