“I have no confidence that I will receive a fairhearing” - Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin

Tuesday, 02 May 2013, for immediate release

Contact: Toby Cadman: +44 7817 371 444

This statement is issued following the publication of a statement today by the International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh concerning the formal charge and issuance of a summons. 

It has now become apparent that the Government of Bangladesh intends to prosecute me for alleged war crimes committed during the country’s War of Liberation in 1971. These accusations are not new and I continue to reject each and every charge levelled against me.

Whilst I will be happy to respond to these charges in an open and fair court of law that is recognized by the international community, the current process in Bangladesh is neither open nor fair, and does not meet international standards, as has been noted by several members of the House of Lords, the United States Ambassador-at-large for War Crimes Issues, Stephen J. Rapp, Members of the US Congress and US Senate, several reputable international human rights NGOs and a number of organs of the United Nations.

Therefore I have no confidence that I will receive a fair hearing in a Tribunal already accused of judicial and prosecutorial misconduct, as outlined in detail in The Economist and The Wall Street Journal in December 2012.

For the record, let me state clearly where I stand on the events of 1971. I was a journalist at the time, and yes, I supported the unity of Pakistan. However, supporting the unity of a sovereign nation is one thing, getting involved in crimes is not what I have taken part in any way, shape or form.

While I remain interested in events in Bangladesh, I have for the last forty years concentrated my efforts in community work here in the United Kingdom. This includes supporting the welfare of British Bangladeshis, and the lives of fellow Britons. The UK has been my home and has been so for my children.

/ends