DHAKA: International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) expressed surprise after New York Times and Daily Prothom Alo published an editorial and news item respectively over its order dated December 2 punishing David Bergman for the offence of contempt.

Taking those into suo moto notice, judges of the tribunal said, “We have perused the alleged news item published in The Daily Prothom Alo [20 December 2014] and the ‘Editorial’ published in the New York Times [23 December 2014]. Prima facie the news item and the editorial in question seem to have been based on misconception and exceeding limit of recognized norms.”

Later the court on Sunday asked the Editor of Prothom Alo for submitting copy of the full text of the statement so made and signed by 50 citizens to the Registrar of the Tribunal by 31.12.2014.

Prothom Alo published a news item titled “50 citizens express concern over Bergman’s punishment” published on December 20 relates to the order dated December 2 punishing David Bergman a foreign national who has been working in Bangladesh as a journalist for the offence of contempt under section 11(4) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973.

The news speaks of a ‘statement’ made by 50 citizens expressing view and criticism on the order punishing David Bergman on contempt charge. The news item prima facie shows that the ‘statement’ expresses concern about the “freedom of expression of journalist, researcher and analyst on the issue of ‘death figure in 1971”.

Presumably, the signatories are in impression that the contemnor has been punished for making criticism on ‘death figure in 1971’

Next, the core content of the editorial published in the New York Times [Muzzling Speech in Bangladesh By THE EDITORIAL BOARD DEC. 23, 2014] constitutes a classical example not only of endorsing a punished contemnor’s conduct who found guilty for the charge of scandalising the Tribunal a lawfully formed judicial forum --but the view expressed in the editorial tends to demean the judiciary of a sovereign country, Bangladesh, prima facie appears.

We are surprised to note that the Editorial Board of
The New York Times a renowned international daily can make comment “If justice is truly what the International Crimes Tribunal seeks, it should immediately overturn Mr. Bergman’s sentence and Conviction”, the court said in its order.

BDST: 0917 HRS, DEC 29, 2014