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Bangladesh prisoners of conscience release

23 January 2008, 01:40PM

Three Dhaka university professors have been pardoned and released. It is welcome news, but they should never have been charged in the first place.

We considered the Dhaka amd Rajshahi University professors to be prisoners of conscience and had been calling for their immediate and unconditional release. They had been held without bail since last August on charges of inciting violence.

The arrest and prosecution of the Rajshahi and Dhaka University professors are illustrative of the manner in which emergency regulations are open to abuse in cases involving the right to peaceful protest, says Irene Khan, our Secretary General, who has recently returned from a mission to Bangladesh.

The restrictions imposed through the Emergency Powers Rules exceed what is permissible under international law. The current rules and restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly and association are too widely framed and are being selectively applied, says Irene Khan.

We call on the caretaker government to urgently review and amend the restrictions on rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association invoked under the state of emergency.

For further information, please see One Year On.

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