The death in custody, in Bangladesh, of writer Mr. Mushtaq Ahmed
on 25 February 2021 has sparked a wave of protests by concerned people in
Bangladesh, the Human Rights organisations, the
Committee to Protect Journalists. etc.
Today, 13 Ambassadors and High
Commissioners expressed grave concerns. Please see the joint statements by the
13 diplomats as posted in the website of the US Embassy, Bangladesh:
U.S. Embassy in Bangladesh
Joint Statement by Thirteen OECD
Ambassadors and High Commissioners in Dhaka on the Death of Mr. Mushtaq Ahmed
The undersigned Heads of Mission in
Dhaka express our grave concern about the death in custody of Mr. Mushtaq Ahmed on 25 February 2021.
Mr. Ahmed had been held in pre-trial
detention since 5 May 2020 under the provisions of the Digital Security Act
(DSA). We understand that he had been denied bail on several occasions and that
concerns had been raised about his treatment while he was imprisoned.
We express our sincere condolences to
his family and friends.
We call on the Government of Bangladesh
to conduct a swift, transparent, and independent inquiry into the full
circumstances of Mr. Mushtaq Ahmed’s death.
We will continue to engage with the
Government of Bangladesh on our Governments’ wider concerns about the
provisions and implementation of the DSA, as well as questions about its
compatibility with Bangladesh’s obligations under international human rights
laws and standards.
Signed:
High Commissioner of Canada, Mr. Benoit Préfontaine
Ambassador of Denmark, Mrs. Winnie Estrup Petersen
Ambassador of the EU, Mrs. Rensje Teerink
Ambassador of France, Mr. Jean-Marin Schuh
Ambassador of Germany, Mr. Peter Fahrenholtz
Ambassador of Italy, Mr. Enrico Nunziata
Ambassador of the Netherlands, Mr. Harry
Verweij
Ambassador of Norway, Mr. Espen Rikter-Svendsen
Ambassador of Spain, Mr. Francisco de Asis Benitez Salas
Ambassador of Sweden, Mrs. Alexandra
Berg von Linde
Ambassador of Switzerland, Mrs. Nathalie
Chuard
High Commissioner of the United Kingdom,
Mr. Robert Chatterton Dickson
Ambassador of the United States of
America, Mr. Earl R. Miller
By U.S. Embassy Dhaka | 26 February,
2021 | Topics: News, Press Releases