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Court passes jail sentences on newspaper editor and reporter

Reporters Without Borders deplores yesterday's decision by the supreme court to impose a six-month jail sentence on Mahmudur Rahman, the acting editor of the opposition daily Amar Desh, and a one-month jail sentence on Oliullah Noman, one of his reporters, for contempt of court.

"The authorities are trying to relieve prison overcrowding by freeing lots of detainees, yet the supreme court has passed jail terms on these two journalists," Reporters Without Borders. "This is absurd. The government and the courts are making a mistake by targeting the opposition media. They are not the enemy."

The press freedom organisation added: "We call on President Zillur Rahman to pardon Rahman and Noman, who have no place being in detention, especially as this jail sentence will prevent Rahman from taking over the running of the newspaper again or being a candidate in elections."

Headed by Chief Justice Mohammad Fazlul Karim, the supreme court panel found Rahman and Noman guilty of contempt of court in connection with an article published last April that angered judges by accusing them of granting injunctions requested by the government.

The court also fined Rahman 100,000 takas (1,000 euros) and Noman 10,000 takas, with the proviso that they will have to serve additional jail terms if the fines are not paid. News editor Mostahid Faruqui and deputy editor Syed Abdal Ahmed were acquitted.

Detained since 1 June, Rahman has been mistreated while in detention. He is due to be tried soon on another contempt court charge for an article headlined "Farce in the name of independent justice."

He is also facing charges of sedition and fraud. The investigators in these cases have not yet transmitted their findings to the judicial authorities.

Topics: Freedom of speech, Freedom of information, Freedom of expression,